Mind the gap: How to identify and address skills gaps in project teams

No matter how experienced your project team is, there will always be areas where skills could be stronger. Sometimes the gaps are obvious: missed deadlines, unclear communication, or difficulty adapting to change. At other times, they’re more subtle, emerging only when projects hit unexpected challenges.

For senior project professionals, identifying and addressing these gaps is essential. Capability shortfalls can undermine delivery, damage stakeholder confidence, and limit an organisation’s adaptability. However, with the right approaches, skills gaps can be diagnosed early and turned into opportunities for growth.

How to identify skills gaps in your team

Identifying skills gaps starts with understanding where your team is today versus where it needs to be to deliver effectively. A combination of structured reviews and everyday observations can provide valuable insights:

• Performance reviews and one-to-ones: Regular discussions with team members highlight strengths, challenges, and training needs. Look for recurring themes across the team to pinpoint wider capability gaps.
• Project retrospectives and lessons learned: Reviewing recent projects reveals patterns. Did delays arise from poor planning? Were risks overlooked? Did communication break down at critical points? These signals often point to areas where skills need strengthening.

Alongside formal reviews, keep an eye on emerging trends. Are projects struggling with new digital tools? Are regulatory or sustainability requirements becoming harder to meet? Skills gaps often show themselves when external demands evolve faster than team capability.

Addressing your team’s skills gaps

Once you’ve identified the areas where capability is lacking, the next step is to address these gaps constructively. The key is to focus on solutions that build confidence as well as competence.

Targeted training and upskilling

Formal training remains one of the most effective ways to close skills gaps. Whether it’s project management methodologies, soft skills, or technical knowledge, structured courses give teams both the tools and the shared language they need to perform better.

Coaching and mentoring

Not all skill gaps require a course. Pairing less experienced professionals with mentors or providing access to coaching helps to transfer knowledge within the team. This also builds stronger working relationships and reinforces a culture of learning.

On-the-job development

Practical learning opportunities, such as secondments, shadowing, or leading smaller initiatives, allow team members to build skills in real-world contexts. These approaches strengthen confidence and improve adaptability.

Embedding continuous improvement

Addressing skills gaps shouldn’t be a one-off exercise. By building learning into your team’s rhythm through regular retrospectives, peer feedback, and skills assessments, you ensure development remains ongoing, keeping your workforce agile and resilient.

The value of addressing skills gaps

Closing skills gaps delivers benefits that go far beyond immediate project outcomes. Teams that feel supported in their development are more engaged, motivated, and likely to stay. Stronger skills also translate into more predictable delivery outcomes, greater stakeholder confidence, and improved adaptability in the face of change.

Turning gaps into growth

With proactive assessment and a commitment to development, senior project professionals can turn skills gaps into strengths, building teams that are capable, confident, and ready for the challenges ahead.

At ILX, we specialise in helping organisations identify and address skills gaps through targeted training and development. From project management frameworks to leadership and collaboration, our learning solutions are designed to give your teams the tools they need to deliver with confidence.