Back to Agile Team Dynamics

T-shaped Skills

5 minutes 5 Questions

T-shaped skills refer to the characteristics of team members in an agile team, where individuals possess deep expertise in one area (the vertical part of the 'T') and a broad range of skills in other areas (the horizontal part of the 'T'). This enables agile team members to not only contribute in their primary area of expertise, but also collaborate effectively across different domains. The concept of T-shaped skills encourages shared knowledge and understanding, which in turn fosters better communication, collaboration, and adaptability within the team. Developing T-shaped skills involves continuous learning and knowledge sharing through practices such as pair programming, code reviews, and collaborative planning.

Guide to T-shaped Skills in Agile Project Management

What are T-Shaped Skills?
These skills refer to a combination of depth (vertical line of the 'T') and breadth (horizontal line of the 'T') skills possessed by an individual. Depth refers to expertise in a single field or domain, while breadth refers to a reasonable level of competence across related domains.

Why are they Important?
In an Agile team, members are required to be 'generalizing specialists' who have expertise in a single area but can equally turn their hands to related tasks. This is where T-shaped skills come in. These skills increase team flexibility, efficiency and the capacity to innovate.

How does it work?
T-shaped skills work by creating balanced teams, where no single skill dominates. Each team member’s breadth of skills enables them to contribute in areas outside their primary expertise, thus ensuring a broad range of perspectives and inputs is considered.

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on T-Shaped Skills
1. Familiarize yourself with the concept of T-shaped skills and their relevance in Agile dynamics.
2. Understand the difference between 'I-shaped' (specialist) and 'T-shaped' (generalist) profiles.
3. Learn how T-shaped skills contribute to Agile team dynamics, specifically regarding flexibility, efficiency and innovation.
4. Be prepared to explain how you would foster T-shaped skills within a team.
5. When given a scenario, recognize and explain the dynamics of T-shaped skills at play.

Test mode:
Start practice test
Agile Project Management - Agile Team Dynamics Example Questions

Test your knowledge of Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)

Question 1

You just joined a new project as a T-shaped marketing expert. Which of the following collaboration approaches would best leverage your T-shaped skills?

Correct Answer: Lead in marketing tasks while actively contributing and supporting other areas when possible

To fully utilize your T-shaped skills, you should lead in your area of expertise (marketing) while also actively collaborating and supporting other areas of the project when you have the capacity or necessary skills.

Question 2

In an agile project, your team requires a T-shaped skillset for efficient completion. What role should a new team member play who has multiple skills, but also excels at backend programming?

Correct Answer: Mainly focus on backend programming while occasionally supporting other tasks

T-shaped skillsets emphasize a person's expertise in one area while maintaining the ability to support other tasks. The new team member should mainly focus on backend programming but also be available to occasionally support other tasks when needed.

Question 3

You have been appointed as a Scrum Master in a team where T-shaped skills are highly encouraged. One of the team members, who is primarily a backend developer, is interested in learning front-end technologies but fears that he may not perform efficiently due to lack of experience. How will you address this situation?

Correct Answer: Pair the developer with a teammate who has front-end expertise to help him learn while contributing to the project.

Encouraging a T-shaped skills environment involves not just learning, but applying new skills in practice. Pair programming or working closely with someone with the desired skill set is an effective way for individuals to learn new skills while contributing to the team's goals. Suggesting the developer only improve his existing skills or delaying his involvement in front-end tasks until after formal training misses the opportunity for incremental learning and growth. Observing without direct involvement lacks the hands-on experience necessary for effective learning in a practical context.

Software-Agile
Go Premium

Agile Project Management Preparation Package (2024)

  • 606 Superior-grade Agile Project Management practice questions.
  • Accelerated Mastery: Deep dive into critical topics to fast-track your mastery.
  • 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed: Full refund with no questions if unsatisfied.
  • Bonus: If you upgrade now you get upgraded access to all courses
  • Risk-Free Decision: Start with a 7-day free trial - get premium features at no cost!
More T-shaped Skills questions
18 questions (total)
Start 18 question test