Cross Training Skills Identification Exercise
Directions: Each member of your team brings valuable skills and contributions to your team dynamics and operations. Identifying the individual’s strengths and the skills your team needs to succeed, can help leaders to create cross training opportunities.
- Set aside time to complete a skills identification exercise.
- Discuss the function of cross training and skill development.
- Provide a personal example of skills you might want to learn to help decrease tension and increase the capacity to be vulnerable in this discussion.
- Create a list of skills or competencies that your team needs to be successful in your industry.
- This list could include presentation skills, goal setting, performance development, saying “no”, storytelling, problem solving, timeboxing or many others.
- Share this list with your team members and have each team member identify their proficiency with each skill.
- This can be done through a survey format or by writing their names in a list under each competency as they are presented to the group.
- Next, have them identify skills that they would like to learn more about or would like to have more training.
- This can be done through a survey format or by writing their names in a list under each competency as they are presented to the group.
- By the end of this exercise, you and your team should have a clear list of skills they do well and a list of skills that serve as a development opportunity.
- You can help people pair up to teach each other, talk to your HR team about the resources and training they might have to help develop these skills or do research on your own to help your teams learn.
- This will give your team members some autonomy over their development and identify opportunities for cross training.