This was also published as a Twitter thread here

From Skills to Mindset: Navigating the PSHE Framework for Career Growth

Careers often start with a focus on skillsets, but over time, they become a play of mindset. This isn’t just true in sports or technology—it’s almost universal. To move from executing tasks to asking, “What problem is worth solving?”—as outlined in the PSHE framework by Shishir Mehrotra—you need to navigate a challenging transition. Many struggle with fears and dilemmas along the way, but let’s unpack this journey step by step.

Understanding the PSHE Framework

The PSHE framework—Problems, Solution, How, Execution—maps out how your role and responsibilities evolve as your career grows. It’s visualized as a sigmoid curve, where the scope of your work expands from narrow to broad, and your focus shifts from doing to leading.

Here’s how it breaks down, one step at a time:

Initial Years: Focused on Execution (P, S, H, E)

In the early stages of your career, you’re handed a problem, a solution, and even the details of how to execute it. Your primary currency is your skills—I know “ABC” skill well, and that’s what moves you forward. You’re playing on your technical abilities, delivering results, and building a foundation.

Moving Up: Figuring Out “How?” (P, S, H)

As you progress, you’re given a problem and a solution, but now it’s up to you to figure out the “how.” Beyond executing yourself, you might start working with a small team, getting things done through others. Your people skills become more important, but your technical expertise remains the primary currency. You’re still leaning on your skills, but now you’re also learning to lead.

Taking Responsibility for Solutions (P, S)

Next, you’re handed a problem and become responsible for both the solution and its execution. Most non-trivial problems now require you to rely on a team and their skills, not just your own. The currency shifts from individual technical prowess to your ability to build and deliver a solution to an organizational or product challenge. This is where leadership starts to shine.

The Highest Level: Defining “What Problem Is Worth Solving?” (P)

At the pinnacle, you’re given a “space”—or whitespace, as I like to call it—and asked, “What problem is worth solving?” This is where technical skills become important but insufficient. What matters most is: Your alignment with the organization’s vision and your ability to identify the right problems to tackle.

“Your performance in the face of ambiguity and unknowns, almost like a top athlete performing under pressure.”

The Hard Transition

This progression isn’t easy. Many struggle with fears and dilemmas as they move from relying on skills to embracing a mindset shift. The fear of losing your “tech skills mojo” is real—engineers often worry they’ll become less technical as they grow. But technical skills remain important; they just aren’t enough on their own.

As you advance, your currency changes from “I know this skill” to “I can work through problems effectively.” This shift is hard to judge from the outside without deep context, and the factors that determine success or failure expand beyond you as an individual to include your team, organization, and environment.

Dealing with Ambiguity and Building the Right Mindset

To succeed at higher levels, you need to thrive in ambiguity. This requires a mindset shift—almost like training to become a top athlete. You must perform your best in the middle of uncertainty, aligning with the organization’s vision, finding the right problems, and assembling teams to execute and improvise.

For example, in sports or technology, the best performers don’t just rely on their initial skills—they adapt, learn, and lead through challenges. The same applies here. Beyond technical expertise, your ability to navigate ambiguity, build solutions, and lead teams becomes your new superpower.

What’s Next?

This transition is tough, but it’s not impossible. If you’re feeling the fear of losing your technical edge, don’t worry—we’ll dive into what it means to stay technical as you grow in a future post. For now, you can read more about the PSHE framework in this concise post by Shishir Mehrotra.

The journey from skills to mindset is hard, but it’s worth it. Let’s uncover the path together.