Ever get a bright idea then realize someone else has already done it?
I created my team skills assessment a couple years ago as part of a lift-off for a new team. It’s designed to assess the cross-functionality of a team. Does a team have all of the skills needed to get their work done? It takes into account team members’ willingness to work in certain areas. It uncovers gaps, needs for training or pair programming, or possible hiring areas. It starts a conversation:
“This is where we are now. Where do we go from here?”
Turns out I wasn’t the first person to think of it.
At a Meetup a few months ago, Kim Poremski introduced us to the Capability Matrix. It’s a free tool in Excel that creates a team skills heatmap based on survey responses from the team. You’ll get a visualization of what areas might be a good start to strengthen.
Either tool helps visualize dependencies on specializations on the team. They’re great for starting new teams or as a conversation starter for teams looking to improve.
The more ways we work together towards cross-functionality, the better.
Photo by Diego PH on Unsplash