Guide: Shared Skills in Cross-Functional Teams

What it is: Shared Skills refers to the idea in Scrum that every team member has some competence in every skill necessary to complete the work. It doesn't mean everyone must be experts in all areas, rather, everyone should have some knowledge in all areas. For instance, while one person might major in testing and another in development, each team member should ideally have basic testing and development skills. In other words, they should be 'T-shaped' professionals.

Importance: Shared Skills is crucial for cross-functional teams as it promotes self-organization, enhances team flexibility, and helps manage risks associated with personnel changes. It means that if a person is unable to continue with their day's work for any reason, the team as a whole can still proceed with little to no interruption.

How it works: Maximizing shared skills starts from recruitment and continues with ongoing learning and development. Periodic training and workshops, pairing, and rotating assignments are some of the ways to promote shared skills.

Exam Tips: In an exam about Scrum and shared skills, remember to mention the T-shaped professional, importance of shared skills in handling risks and promoting self-organization, and ways to develop shared skills in a team.
Answering Questions on Shared Skills: Understand the context of the question. If it's about importance, write about self-organization, risk management, and flexibility. If it's about implementation, mention recruitment, regular training, rotating assignments, etc. Apply real-world examples for better illustration. Ensure your understanding of shared skills is complete and wholesome to effectively answer related questions.