How do you know the skillset you need to get promoted? Context matters, but I put together what I evaluate and what I use to coach PMs and Leaders.

CLAIM Area Skill Associate Intermediate Senior Lead
Communication Asking powerful questions Struggles to go beyond surface-level questions. Frequently asks clarifying questions. Asks strategic questions that shape direction. Shapes the organization's questioning culture.
Communication Communication Channels Uses one preferred channel regardless of context. Considers medium, but defaults often. Chooses medium based on impact. Scales communication frameworks org-wide.
Communication Feedback (Giving) Gives vague or overly general feedback. Gives basic feedback with occasional value. Delivers honest and helpful feedback consistently. Builds feedback-rich environments.
Communication Feedback (Receiving) Defensive and reactive to critical feedback. Receives feedback but sometimes takes it personally. Seeks out feedback to improve. Models feedback culture across teams.
Communication Listening Listens passively, often distracted. Listens to understand, occasionally distracted. Actively listens and reflects back understanding. Coaches others in listening and communication.
Communication Message Clarity Talks too much, hard to follow. Can be clear, but not always. Clear and sharp in what they say. Helps others tell stories that stick.
Communication Saying No Avoids saying no, easily derailed. Can say no with peer support. Says no confidently, explains why. Protects product focus by institutionalizing no-culture.
Leadership Decision-making Only makes basic, operational decisions. Links some decisions to strategy with support. Uses data and context to guide decisions. Makes strategic decisions under uncertainty.
Leadership Facilitation Facilitates simple meetings with guidance. Comfortable facilitating within the team. Facilitates sessions with diverse teams. Facilitates cross-org strategy and learning.
Leadership Goal Setting Cannot define high-level goals. Can define goals with help. Defines and aligns goals with broader vision. Aligns teams around long-term mission.
Leadership Lead by Context Focuses on tasks, not context. Provides basic context to the team. Aligns team with compelling context. Shapes context across multiple teams.
Leadership Mentoring Not ready to support others’ development. Can mentor on basic product skills. Mentors across functions on product craft. Builds mentorship programs and culture.
Leadership Product Storytelling Shares ideas, but it’s hard to follow or connect. Tells clear stories in small settings. Builds narratives that create alignment and energy. Tells stories that rally teams and execs around bold bets.
Leadership Situational Leadership Sticks to one default leadership style. Understands leadership styles, trying to adapt. Adapts leadership style effectively. Coaches other leaders on adaptive leadership.
Leadership Vision Crafting Can follow the vision but struggles to see long-term. Contributes feedback to shape vision. Helps build product vision and connects teams to it. Drives product vision and links it to company strategy.
Alignment Go-to-Market Collaboration Knows GTM happens but stays in product bubble. Joins some launch conversations. Partners early with GTM teams to shape messaging and rollout. Drives cross-functional GTM strategy across departments.
Alignment Handling Conflicts Avoids or freezes during conflicts. Can name and address conflict with support. Resolves conflicts with maturity and neutrality. Turns conflicts into alignment opportunities.
Alignment Influence Limited influence on tactical topics. Influences peers and middle management. Drives alignment across org levels. Influences executive-level decisions.
Alignment Relationship Building Maintains polite work relationships. Builds positive working relationships. Nurtures deep, value-driven relationships. Creates cross-functional trust networks.
Alignment Stakeholder Management Identifies key stakeholders. Understands stakeholder motivations. Builds trust with influential stakeholders. Shapes stakeholder strategies beyond own team.
Impact Thinking Customer Empathy Recognizes customer importance, rarely engages. Observes some users, avoids deeper involvement. Involves users continuously in the loop. Institutionalizes user-centric practices.
Impact Thinking Learning Mindset Wants to avoid failure and stick to what’s known. Learns from some failures but fears risks. Tests and learns quickly from failure. Builds psychological safety for innovation.
Impact Thinking Market Scanning Knows competitors exist, but doesn't track them. Reads competitor updates now and then. Regularly tracks competitors and uses insights to shape ideas. Anticipates market moves and positions product ahead.
Impact Thinking Outcome Setting Needs help setting outcomes. Sets outcomes, though needs validation. Owns outcomes across initiatives. Evangelizes outcome-first culture.
Impact Thinking Revenue Impact Awareness Understands product costs money but doesn’t think about it. Notices revenue-related metrics but doesn’t connect the dots. Knows how product moves key metrics like revenue or churn. Pushes features and bets that unlock business growth.
Impact Thinking Uncovering Problems Depends on others to define problems. Begins identifying problems aligned to goals. Partners to frame and reframe strategic problems. Drives systemic discovery practices.
Impact Thinking Value Orientation Focuses on delivering features. Tries to link outcomes with value. Champions value creation through outcomes. Redefines value narratives for the business.
Methods & Tools AI Leverage Knows AI exists but doesn’t use it yet. Explores AI tools but not consistent in applying them. Uses AI to speed up research, write better, and make smarter decisions. Drives AI adoption across the team and sets a clear use strategy.
Methods & Tools Backlog Management Updates backlog under direction. Manages backlog in collaboration with team. Backlog reflects product strategy and priorities. Creates scalable backlog practices across teams.
Methods & Tools Business Models Reads basic business models. Builds simple business models with templates. Evaluates initiatives using business levers. Designs business models for scale.
Methods & Tools Execution Rhythm Needs help managing delivery. Keeps teams moving but often firefighting. Runs tight, focused iterations with purpose. Builds calm, high-output teams that deliver consistently.
Methods & Tools KPI Usage Reads KPIs but struggles to interpret meaning. Uses KPIs to guide retrospectives. Owns KPI design, tracking, and storytelling. Leverages KPIs to influence strategic shifts.
Methods & Tools OKRs Understands OKRs but doesn’t apply them. Drafts OKRs with help. Creates measurable OKRs tied to impact. Cascades OKRs to connect strategy and action.
Methods & Tools Product Discovery Knows the idea of product discovery. Participates in continuous discovery activities. Leads continuous discovery with experimentation. Operationalizes discovery and AI into core workflows.
Methods & Tools Bet Sizing Misses risky moves until it's too late. Spots some risky bets, but reacts late. Surfaces risks early and adjusts plans fast. Shapes smart betting systems across teams.
Methods & Tools Roadmap Ownership Follows roadmap created by others. Can co-create roadmaps with guidance. Drives roadmap with strategic alignment. Aligns roadmaps to company bets.
Methods & Tools Value Propositions Can read value propositions but not apply them. Drafts propositions but struggles to validate. Crafts and evolves propositions with data. Inspires differentiated value strategies.