Here's how you can bridge skill gaps with coaching for a promotion boost.

One of my clients went part-time at work last year. When merit increases were discussed this year, her's was roughly $10k and she was happy with that given that she was doing work she loved and balancing her home life. However, her responsibilities had also increased over the year, she was making critical decisions for her firm and stepping up in strategy meetings. As we coached on money, she realized she had created more value for the company than she was giving herself credit for, and she countered the $10k with $30k. After a few days, she texted me, saying, "I am $30k richer because of our conversation!" But, really, she was $30k richer because she put in the hard work all year:) As her coach, I had held space and asked the questions.

First identify Your Strengths: Start by recognizing your existing skills. These are the areas where you excel and provide the most value. You might be a great communicator, a strategic thinker, or have a knack for problem-solving. Next is Identify Your Gaps: Identify areas where you need improvement. These could be technical skills, soft skills, or industry-specific knowledge. Seek Coaching & Mentoring: Once you’ve identified your gaps, seek coaching and mentoring. Coaches provide a structured and supportive environment for you to learn and grow. While mentoring complements coaching by offering a more personal, relationship-based approach to professional development.

Don't just pick any coach. Look for someone with experience helping people in your field get promoted. They should be an expert in the skills you need and understand your industry. A good coach will push you to improve, be honest with you, and celebrate your wins along the way.

Selecting the appropriate coach is vital as they can influence your decision-making process. There are several criteria for choosing a coach that align with your goals and objectives. For me 1. Trust: I am more inclined to discuss my issues with a coach whose experience and personality I am familiar with, someone I've worked with and observed over time, establishing a long-term connection that assures me of their support. 2. Flexibility: A coach can transition between coaching and mentoring when necessary, as there are times when I lack answers and require guidance. 3. Skills & Knowledge: Such as active listening, questioning, communication, motivation, and follow-up, as well as expertise in the areas I'm looking for help.

One thing I have learnt is that you need the right coach for one or two goals only. Once your goals have been achieved you need to review whether you stay with the same coach or look to another for the next goals in your career journey.

Selecting the right coach and mentor is crucial for bridging the skills gap. Look for a coach who specializes in your area of improvement and a mentor who inspires you. For instance, if you’re an engineer aspiring to be a team leader, you might hire a leadership coach to develop leadership skills. Simultaneously, finding a mentor within your organization, like a respected senior leader, can provide invaluable insights from their own journey. A real-life example is Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, who credits his mentors at Microsoft for guiding him towards success. Remember, the right guidance can accelerate your promotion journey.

Is very important to know the type of Coach to employ. Sometimes your Coach determines how great or worse you can be at what you do, this depends on your level or category. Some may progress without a coach but very slim chances, but getting a good and professional coach can help you increase and progress at what you do. Good coaches identifies your witness and show you how it can be strengthened, they help you get better, grow, progress and improve your skill level.

Make a plan to win! With your coach, set clear goals for what you want to achieve. These goals should be specific and measurable, so you can track your progress. They should also be ambitious yet achievable, and relevant to the promotion you seek. Finally, set deadlines to keep yourself on track.

An organized and a great coach, will have step by step, strategy, routine, plans , structure that can help you achieve your goals. The set goals should be achievable, attainable with the right skill set.

Once you've identified the skill gaps, set clear and achievable goals to address them. Your goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). For instance, if you need to improve your public speaking skills, set a goal to deliver a certain number of presentations within a specific timeframe. Collaborate with your executive coach to outline a step-by-step plan to reach these goals, ensuring they align with your career aspirations and the requirements of the promotion.

I think, when setting goals one should start with WHY. Like, why do I want to achieve this? Sometimes I see people setting for themselves SMART goals, without actually needing them, or goals far from what they actually intend to achieve. A reasonable skilled coach should challenge us with questions involving the WHY? Sometimes with a simple question such as: Why are you here or why do you want to achieve that?

Ein Ziel soll nicht immer erreicht werden, es dient oft nur als Ziel. Wenn Sie sehr viel Zeit mit Durchdenken einer Angelegenheit verbringen, dann kommen sie niemals zum Ziel.

Your coach can help you create a step-by-step plan to reach your goals. This plan will include specific tasks, deadlines, and even practice exercises to get you comfortable with new skills. Regular check-ins will help you stay accountable and adjust the plan as needed.

My experience in small to medium businesses has been that when action plans are too detailed & structured = wasting resources. In addition, the best action plans result in a repeatable process [SOP] so others can follow it & it improves the scalability of the business. The action plan is simplified down to 1 thing over & over, using a lean start-up process to test, learn & iterate = more effective. Set an outcome you want to achieve/or a process to improve & test an action to see if it gets you to that outcome faster, easier, at a lower cost or with less risk, if the test results in any of these then replace that step in your SOP = repeatable. Simplifying your action plan = implementation is faster, easier, lower cost, and less risk.

Implementing your action plan suggested by your coach is crucial. Regular Feedback: Schedule regular check-ins with your coach to review progress and adjust your plan as needed. Daily Practice: Dedicate time each day to work on developing your skills. Apply Learning: Actively apply new skills in your current role to demonstrate your growth and readiness for promotion. Track Progress: Keep a record of your achievements and the skills you’ve acquired.

Consider these elements: Resource List: Identify books, courses, and tools that can aid your learning. Mentorship Opportunities: Engage with industry mentors to gain diverse insights. Self-Assessment: Periodically evaluate your progress and adjust the plan accordingly. A comprehensive action plan with these components ensures continuous development and adaptability, keeping you aligned with your career advancement goals.

There’s something really satisfying about ticking tasks off your to-do list and completing each action on your action plan is the same. A strategy that breaks down what may seem overwhelming at first can feel much more achievable when your coach supports you achieve one step at a time.

Your coach will tell you practice makes perfect, and they're right. Try to use your new skills every day at work, even in small ways. This will help them become second nature.

I personally learn by doing. Taking yourself out of your comfort zone, and into the feeling of "uncertainty", or working within your weaknesses, not only builds upon that skill, but it boosts confidence. The more times you can prove to yourself that you can tackle a skill that had previously been considered a weakness, the more apt you are to jump try new things, and continue to build your overall business acumen. Over time, you realize that certain weaknesses aren't necessarily weaknesses, but areas you haven't had enough access to.

Your Consistency builds your credibility with your leadership team. Set this as a Priority and show up, even if you couldn't deliver 100%, keep optimising it.

Set aside dedicated time each day to work on your identified areas of improvement. For example, if you’re working on public speaking, practice a new speech daily. Seek feedback from your coach and implement their advice. Regularly check-in with your mentor to discuss your progress and challenges. A best practice example is Bill Gates, who reads 50 books a year to continuously learn and grow. Remember, consistent practice, coupled with the guidance of a coach and mentor, can significantly boost your promotion prospects.

Consistent practice is key to mastering new skills. Incorporate daily exercises and activities that help you develop the targeted skills. Whether it's practicing technical skills, honing leadership abilities, or improving communication, make these activities a part of your daily routine. An executive coach can provide you with practical exercises and real-world scenarios to enhance your learning experience. Remember, the more you practice, the more confident and proficient you will become.

Partnering with a professional coach even after you earn your promotion is essential. An effective coach creates a psychologically safe space to support and challenge you to explore the transition into your new role. This ongoing development ensures you reflect on lessons learned and celebrate small wins and progress along the way!

Reflection is one of the building blocks in achieving success. Enlisting different perspectives from peers and thought leaders, helps you to reflect on the merit of your decisions. Today’s ever changing business environment, whether in dealing with complex problems involving customers, stakeholders and suppliers, requires collective leadership engagement. I am a big believer in collective perspective as an engine to fuel true reflection especially today when change is all but expected. Once paradigms have been interrogated and agreed to arrive to a decision, execution needs to follow and monitored with the necessary checks and balances.

Start journaling, making a video dairy, or something along those lines. Doing so will help you get your thoughts in order and give you an idea of what to do next. I should start doing more of it because it does help. It can be a bit hard to be consistent though. Just try to start, at least.

Take time each day to reflect on what you’ve learned, how you’ve applied it, and where you can improve. This self-awareness can guide your growth journey. For instance, Oprah Winfrey, renowned media executive and talk show host, swears by the power of journaling to capture insights and track progress. She regularly reflects on her experiences and learns from them. Remember, reflection turns experience into insight. So, make it a habit to pause, reflect, and learn every day for a promotion boost.

Finally, we must reflect often on our progress. Regular debriefs and after-action reviews allow us to assess what’s working and what isn’t. Reflection helps us learn from our experiences and make necessary adjustments. This iterative process ensures continuous improvement and keeps us on track to achieve our goals.

Focus your coaching time on the things you feel afraid to discuss with your manager or peers. By really zeroing in on the things that are hardest for you to do and understanding some of the psychology that drives your behaviors you will get the biggest boost from your coaching investment.

Focus your coaching time on the things you feel afraid to discuss with your manager or peers. By really zeroing in on the things that are hardest for you to do and understanding some of the psychology that drives your behaviors you will get the biggest boost from your coaching investment.

You may consider leveraging additional resources and opportunities for skill development. Attend workshops, seminars, and online courses relevant to your goals. Network with professionals in your field to gain insights and advice. Stay updated with industry trends and best practices to ensure your skills remain relevant. Lastly, maintain a growth mindset, embracing challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. By continuously seeking improvement and staying adaptable, you can effectively bridge skill gaps and boost your chances for promotion.

A great coach will help you separate the perceived skills gap with what is really holding you back. Gaining more skills can sometimes be an effective procrastinating technique and a effective way of facing the feelings of not being good enough or lacking confidence. Someone who feels the need to be perfect - will be feeding that need, not necessarily the needs of the new role. The root cause of the problem is the one to tackle. I coached someone recently who came to me because they wanted guidance on how to achieve a particular skill. Lack of skill wasn't actually the problem, belief in themselves and their vast skillset was. We worked through that and they now have the promotion they desired

Bridging skill gaps through coaching can significantly boost promotion prospects by providing targeted, personalized guidance. Coaching helps individuals identify their weaknesses and develop the necessary skills to meet the demands of higher roles. It also offers continuous feedback and support, enhancing confidence and competence. This tailored development approach ensures employees are well-prepared for advancement, making them more competitive candidates for promotion.