Visual Management - Skills Matrix

It's important in large technical teams that have diverse skill sets to publicise and celebrate individual skills. All teams have limited resources and need to identify where there are coverage gaps and where training time and effort are best directed. Here are some ideas in this area.

Employee visual management. Put visible targets on the wall. Share knowledge of the teams skills.

Get staff to self assess their skills and share teams knowledge graphically as in this example (hat tip JB).

Technical Skills Visual

Use a proven modelling approach that has a definition of skills levels. Such as the Dreysus model of skill acquisition. After initial self assessment get people together to moderate and refine the information.



Technical Skills Matrix Spreadsheet Example - xlsx

Technical Skills Matrix Example - jpg

To help sustain training efforts keep a team Victory log ( hat tip MH) – containing details of successes outside of the normal day to day activities. To record progress within a team and as a way of influencing positive behaviors across a team.

Here are some examples:

12-Jan-2012: ITIL v3 Foundation exam passed
19-Jan-2012. Volunteered at the Feedback session to represent department members at SMT meeting.
3-Feb-2012. Created SQL archive and guidance
06-Mar-12. Recognition from RE for actionable contribution at the SMT meeting.
26-Mar-12. Quote from VA 'X's understanding of architecture and integration is vital to the work that we are doing. He has provided us with exhaustive list of non functional requirements that should enable xxx project to deliver measurable improvements on ERP interfaces as well as overall customer satisfaction.'
26-Mar-12. Challenged poor quality transition team builds. Builds were re-worked
26-Mar-12. Passed x Exam and used these skills on this project