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Introduction
Welcome back to the weekly newsletter.
Big goals feel far away when you only see your gaps. Let’s flip that. This week, we’ll map what you already do well to what you want next. You’ll spot hidden strengths, cut wasted effort, and move faster. No fluff. Just a clear picture and a clean plan.
Weekly highlight: Cross-map existing abilities with future goals to reveal transferable strengths.
Most people plan from weakness. They list what they don’t have and stall. The Skill Overlap Matrix does the opposite. You cross-map your current skills against your future goals. The overlaps show where you’re already strong. The gaps show exactly what to add. This gives you focus, confidence, and a short path from “now” to “next.”
What the Matrix Is
It’s a simple grid. Rows = your current skills. Columns = your upcoming roles, goals, or projects. Where a skill helps a goal, you mark a match. Do this across all cells. You’ll see patterns fast.
Why It Works
You stop guessing. You see how transferable your skills are.
- Presentation skills fuel your leadership.
- Excel gives fuel to analytical work.
- Customer calls fuel negotiation.
One skill can power many aims. That compound effect is your speed boost.
If you want, you can also use it to map skills that are required across multiple upcoming projects. That helps you prepare better and narrow down the skills to invest your time in.
Build Your Matrix
- Start with 10–15 real skills. Hard and soft. For example: writing, programming, budgeting, facilitation, prioritizing, conflict handling.
- Pick 3–5 future aims. Examples: team lead, product launch, career change, public speaking, side business.
- Draw the grid. For each skill–goal pair, tag the strength: High, Medium, Low, or N/A. Be honest. Use evidence: results from the past, feedback received, outcomes achieved.
Read the Patterns
Look for dense rows (skills that hit many goals). These are your core leverage skills. Protect and use them first.
Find empty columns (goals with many lows). These are your build zones. Don’t chase ten fixes. Pick one or two that lift the whole column.
Spot near wins (lots of Mediums). One notch up turns “good” into “go-to.”
Convert Overlap Into a Plan
Lead with leverage. Route your next tasks to use High skills daily. Quick wins build momentum. For each goal, choose one keystone skill to grow. Make it practical and small. For example: “Run one 10-slide briefing weekly” to sharpen storytelling or “Write one SQL query each workday” to sharpen data.
Attach the keystone to real work. No side homework marathons. Improve inside tasks you already do.
Close the Gaps
- Use micro-reps. Short, daily reps beat long, rare sessions. Couple of minutes a day stacks.
- Use guided constraints. One format. One tool. One metric. Less choice = more reps.
- Use feedback at the edge. Ask for one note on clarity, speed, or impact. Apply it next rep. Move on.
Avoid These Traps
- Don’t inflate skills. You pride will slow growth. Proof wins.
- Don’t make 12 goals. Pick a tight set of skills to focus on.
- Don’t chase random courses. If it doesn’t serve a column this quarter, skip it.
- Don’t wait for “free time.” Bake upgrades into work you must do anyway.
A Quick Example
Goal: move into Product Team.
Matrix says you’re High on stakeholder comms, Medium on analysis, Low on roadmap design.
Plan: keep leading cross-team updates (use your High). Add one weekly metric review (grow analysis from Medium to High). Shadow one roadmap meeting and draft a one-pager after (raise roadmap from Low to Medium). In 8–12 weeks, your column shifts from “not ready” to “credible candidate.”
Application
- List 12 skills you use now. Keep it real.
- Pick 4 future aims for the next 6–12 months.
- Score the grid (High/Medium/Low/N/A). Mark one keystone skill per goal.
- Design one micro-rep tied to current work for each keystone (5–10 minutes, daily or every other day).
- Do one visible piece of work per week (brief, dashboard tweak, demo, mini-talk) that proves progress.
Summary
The matrix helps you focus on what you already have. Often you are closer than you think. The Skill Overlap Matrix shows where. Use your highs, lift one keystone per goal, and build inside the work you already do. Small, steady upgrades move whole columns. That is how “someday” becomes “now.”
Till next time,
Maciej
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