Also affecting an individual’s movement up the ladder over time is the mental capability of each individual. Over time mental capability increases and shows up in the higher rungs of the ladder as shown in the “Mental Thought Processing Capabilities for Technical Personnel” figures. The mental capability was described in previous posts and is based upon the principles of Executive Leadership written by Elliott Jacques.

With respect to the seven levels of a technical ladder for typical chemical companies, the thought processing capability and technical skill level definitions are extremely important. They are needed to understand and accurately place individuals on this “Mental Thought Processing Capabilities for Technical Personnel” matrix so that human resource planning, as well as strategic business and technology planning, can be productively accomplished.