As a software developer, how often have you performed a task that was more stressful than you would like?

Have you ever been assigned to do a task that was outside your comfort zone?

Or attempted to work on a skill only to feel as if you were beating your head against a brick wall?

Going against the grain is not easy, but we all have to do it to some extent. If we don’t, getting by in society can be very difficult.

People who are more driven by their imagination and the “art of the possible,” must at times also be very practical and focus on the here and now. Those who trust in reason and objectivity still want healthy relationships and must learn to deal with feelings and value conflicts to do so. Those fond of the familiar and peace and quiet must occasionally face strangers and intense situations. And every spontaneous person who chafes against constraint needs to plan and make serious decisions at times.

But once someone develops enough of their opposite side to do these things, is it worthwhile to continue? How much good does it do for someone to focus on developing their weak areas?

The truth is that it doesn’t do much good. The amount of effort that must be exerted for a single step in a direction of weakness is tremendous.

Consider the diagram below.

A team member may be extraordinary at project planning, but their ability as a troubleshooter will be poor (top line). Conversely, a team member who is an expert at troubleshooting unexpected problems with a plan will make a poor planner (bottom line). And if someone really stretches themself between the two, trying to be good at both, they will only ever be able to reach a degree of sufficiency in each category that falls significantly short of greatness (middle line).

So where should we spend our time?

On our strengths.

Proportionally, we can get so much more “pound for pound” by working on areas in which we already have talent. As you develop a strength, you will unlock areas of untapped potential. This will magnify many of your other abilities, even ones that may seem unrelated. As you focus on your natural talents, you will watch your associated skills grow at an exponential rate. Conversely, a person who chooses to focus on an area that does not come naturally to them will watch it grow with ever diminishing returns—every new effort producing fewer and fewer results.

So how do we discover our strengths?

At Paladin & Archer Software Systems, we have engineered a tool to do just that. The SPHERE locates areas in which a person will have the greatest facility. In addition, we have mapped out which activities are most important for different developer roles and how central they are to each particular role.

Learn what areas of activity come naturally to you and what position fits you best. Start by taking the Trait Spectrum. Afterward, your results will display your unique Atmosphere and Fallpoint within the SPHERE, and you can see which developer roles you are most compatible with.

The Trait Spectrum takes most people between 20 and 30 minutes to complete. After you contact us, you will be given a code and directions to access the questionnaire and other features. Discover your strongest traits and your placement in the SPHERE! Contact us at support@developerlevel.com.