Define the Services – Then the Skills
Start by getting clear on the services your team provides. Are you supporting front-line teams with process improvements? Facilitating strategic change with senior leaders? Offering training, coaching, or diagnostics?
Once you’ve defined your services, ask: What skills and capabilities are needed to deliver those services to a high standard?
Then take an honest look at your team. Assess each individual’s strengths, development areas, and current role responsibilities. Identify the gaps between your current capability and your ideal capability.
Skills Gap Analysis & Development Planning
You’ll likely find areas where skills are missing or underdeveloped. That’s completely normal—and incredibly useful. Mapping those gaps allows you to create targeted development plans that build the capability your team needs most.
Every improvement professional should have a personal development plan. These should align with your team’s broader goals, but also reflect the individual’s aspirations, role, and strengths. Whether it’s technical CI tools, coaching ability, data analysis, or strategic thinking—make sure everyone is growing in the right direction.
Don’t Forget Yourself
If you're leading the CI team, don’t leave yourself out of the equation. Leaders often focus on developing others, but it’s equally important to consider your own growth.
Ask yourself:
- What services am I expected to deliver?
- Do I have the capabilities to meet those expectations?
- Where might I need to grow to lead more effectively?
Whether you’re setting strategic direction, engaging executives, or championing a culture of improvement, your skills matter too.
Succession Planning: The Overlooked Capability Factor
One area that often gets missed in team capability planning is succession. Even if you plan to stay in your current role long-term, it’s good practice to think about who could lead the team next.
Succession planning isn’t about replacing people—it’s about future-proofing your function. It helps ensure continuity, maintain momentum, and gives team members a clear line of sight for progression.
Start by identifying:
- Which roles are critical to team success?
- Who could step into those roles in the future?
- What development would they need to get there?
Key Takeaways
To build a high-performing CI team, you need more than passion for improvement—you need the right capabilities in the right places. Here’s a quick recap:
- Define your services – What are you delivering to the organisation?
- Identify required skills – What capabilities are essential to deliver those services well?
- Assess current capability – Where are the gaps?
- Create development plans – For every team member, including yourself.
- Think succession – Plan now for leadership continuity later.
Ready to see how your improvement team stacks up?
Want to discuss a Team Maturity Assessment and start benchmarking your team against best-in-class practices simply get in touch today.
