Creating a Skills Matrix

Introduction

A team skills matrix makes people’s skills transparent. It’s a useful artefact that helps with:

Resource planning – do we have the skills to deliver the goals of future work?
Refining the Product Backlog – do we have the skills to deliver upcoming work?
Succession planning – who can take over when someone goes on holidays?
Training needs – who needs to improve their skills so our team has an improved delivery capability?

Create the skills matrix as part of establishing the team.

Use a simple 1-5 scale. Self-assessment is sufficient.

Use an emoji to represent whether you like doing that work

Where are the team's weak points?

Create a plan to strengthen skills and learn new ones using a team professional development plan.

Update the skills matrix at a Retrospective about once every 6-9 months.

Download and use the skills matrix for your own team.

1. Hodgson, M. R., and Horrigan, M. B. (2021) Agile Essentials.