This term fits / Skills & readinessMeasurement
Skills Gap Analysis
Definition
A skills gap analysis compares what people can do today with what their roles require. It helps leaders decide where practice, coaching, hiring, clearer expectations, or better tools are needed. The aim is to improve performance in specific work, not simply create a list of courses.
Where it fits in the SDI system
Define the skills, leadership, practice, information, and specialist support people need to perform, not merely complete learning activity.
SDI practitioner lens
From definition to decision
Consider a manufacturer promoting experienced operators into supervisor roles. Strong technical performance does not show whether someone can coach, delegate, or resolve a difficult handoff. The analysis should examine those responsibilities separately. This is an illustrative example, not a client result.
01 / Decision it should inform
Choose a role and a few important tasks. Agree what good performance looks like, then review work samples, observations, and manager feedback against that standard. Your leaders define the expectations; SDI can help assess the evidence and build a practical development plan.
02 / What to watch for
A low self-rating is a starting point for a conversation, not proof of a skill gap. Check whether the person has clear expectations, working tools, enough time, and authority to act before prescribing training.
Related ideas, client examples, and next steps
Move from a skill need to readiness people can demonstrate.
Continue with the ideas, evidence, and SDI support that are directly relevant to this page. When a link does not add useful context, it is intentionally left out.
Read practical guidance
Why Recreate the Wheel? Large and Enterprise Companies Should Outsource Employee Training and Talent DevelopmentCompanies struggle with developing their workforce efficiently due to limited resources, time constraints, and lack of expertise.Developing First-Time Leaders: Help New Supervisors SucceedHelp new supervisors delegate, give feedback, and lead a team with clear expectations, realistic practice, and support from their managers.The New Era of Leadership DevelopmentI wrote a previous article related to leadership development that discussed why an effective leadership development program was much more than just about the content. While everything from that article still holds true, even the content for developing leaders needs to be updated.
Explore relevant help
See how SDI turns what the work reveals into practical choices about roles, capability, learning, leadership, and the conditions people need to perform.
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Turn the term into a decision
What would “Skills Gap Analysis” change in your organization?
Clara can translate the definition into ownership, evidence, and the next question worth asking without treating the term as a solution.