What this is
A spreadsheet that defines what good work looks like at each level on your team, across the skills that actually matter, so a promotion isn't based on a feeling.
When to use it
Build it once, before your next round of promotion or leveling conversations, not in the middle of one.
Common mistake
Writing competencies as personality traits instead of visible behavior. "Is proactive" doesn't tell anyone what to actually do differently; "flags a blocker the same day" does.
How to use this
- Download the Excel file.
- Set the levels your team really uses on the Levels tab, then rewrite the Framework tab in your own words, three short bullets per box.
- Use the optional Measures tab to back the framework with real numbers, and the "Ready for the next level when" row to flag promotion timing.
A one time job. Plan on about 30 minutes. Set the levels your team really uses, then write what good looks like at each one, across the skills that actually matter, so the next promotion conversation starts from a shared answer instead of a guess.
Most teams never write this down. Readiness lives in one manager's head, so two people doing the same work can get a different answer depending on who they ask. A leveling framework turns that into something everyone can see and point to.
What It's Good For
Promotion conversations
Turns a vague "are they ready?" into a checklist you can point to, with both sides looking at the same bar.
Consistent expectations across managers
If two managers on the same team level people differently, this is the document that gets them to agree.
Hiring at the right level
Interview panels can rate a candidate against the same bullets a current employee is rated against.
Growth conversations
Gives a specific next skill to build instead of a general "keep doing great work."
How to Build One
- Name your real levels. Four are filled in as an example, Associate through Manager. Rename them, reorder them, or leave extras blank to match your own team.
- Read each example skill, then rewrite it in your own words. Keep it to three short bullets per box. If you can't picture someone actually doing it, cut it.
- Make sure each level clearly builds on the one before it. If two boxes in a row read the same, one of them is wrong.
- Add real measures where you have them. The Measures tab is optional, use it to back the framework with numbers, and write "n/a" where a measure doesn't apply to a level.
- Share the draft with your team before you call it final. Their edits will make it more believable than anything you write alone.
The Template
A working example written for a support or operations team. Replace the levels and skills to match your own function.
Yellow boxes with blue text in the download are examples. Replace them with your own; the grey structure can stay as is.
| Skill | What it covers | Associate | Specialist | Team Lead | Manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality of work | How accurate and complete work is when it leaves their hands | • Follows the written steps every time • Catches their own mistakes before handing off • Asks when unsure instead of guessing | • Delivers accurate work with little review • Spots repeat errors and reports them • Fixes a guide or checklist when a step is unclear | • Reviews others' work with specific, kind feedback • Turns error patterns into fixes the whole group uses • Knows when to move fast and when to slow down | • Sets the quality bar and explains why it matters • Trades speed against quality using data • Removes the cause of repeat problems |
| Ownership | How much they carry without being chased | • Finishes assigned work on time • Flags a blocker the same day • Admits mistakes quickly and fixes them | • Picks up loose ends nobody assigned • Brings a proposed fix with every problem • Follows a request through to the end | • Owns the group's results, not only their tasks • Steps in early when a deadline is at risk • Makes a call and stands behind it | • Owns team results, including the misses • Decides with incomplete information • Escalates early with options and a recommendation |
| Communication | How clearly they share status, asks, and news | • Writes short, clear updates • Replies inside the agreed window • Says what they need, not only what is wrong | • Tailors updates to the reader • Runs a short huddle when asked • Explains the why behind a process | • Runs tight meetings with an agenda and next steps • Delivers hard news directly and with care • Turns leadership goals into plain tasks | • Presents to leaders with a clear point of view • Keeps the message consistent up, down, and sideways • Makes the team's work visible company wide |
| Teamwork | How they work with peers and other teams | • Helps a teammate when asked • Shares credit and says thank you • Takes feedback without getting defensive | • Offers help before being asked • Works smoothly with other teams • Gives peers honest, useful feedback | • Builds trust inside the group • Settles disagreements early and fairly • Builds real relationships with partner teams | • Builds a team people want to stay on • Resolves conflict between teams • Ties the team's goals to the company's |
| Growing others | How they help other people get better | • Applies feedback and shows the change • Sets one growth goal with their manager • Is open to being shown a better way | • Buddies and trains new hires • Shares tips and shortcuts with the team • Tracks their own growth plan | • Holds regular 1:1s with each person • Matches people to stretch work that fits them • Coaches through a problem instead of solving it | • Grows leads into future managers • Builds depth so no one person is a single point of failure • Gives straight answers on promotion readiness |
| Ready for the next level when | The signal to look for before a promotion talk | • Shows Specialist behaviors most weeks • Has done so for about three months | • Others come to them for answers • Has helped someone else improve | • Their group hits goals without them stepping in • Has a leader ready to take their place | • Scope has outgrown one team • Results hold up across a full year |
Five skills is plenty. More than seven and nobody remembers them.
Quick Tips
Do
- Write what a person does that others can see, not what they are. "Flags a blocker the same day" beats "is proactive."
- Make sure each level clearly builds on the one before it.
- Share the draft with your team before you call it final.
Don't
- Don't leave two levels in a row reading the same, if they do, one of them is wrong.
- Don't write competencies in a vacuum, the example text is written for a support or operations team, change it to fit your own function.
- Don't skip the Measures tab entirely if you already have real numbers, it makes the framework harder to argue with.
The download includes a "Start Here" tab with the same guidance above, so you don't have to come back to this page while you're building it out.
Operations Playbook Series