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 t…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.
Agile Project Management - T-shaped Skills Example Questions
Test your knowledge of T-shaped Skills
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?
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?
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?
🎓 Unlock Premium Access
Agile Project Management + ALL Certifications
🎓 Access to ALL Certifications: Study for any certification on our platform with one subscription
606 Superior-grade Agile Project Management practice questions
Unlimited practice tests across all certifications
Detailed explanations for every question
100% Satisfaction Guaranteed: Full refund if unsatisfied
Risk-Free: 7-day free trial with all premium features!