Knowledge Base · Tools & Terms
What is a skills matrix, and how do I build one?
A skills matrix is a grid comparing two things: the skills a team or project needs, and the skills its members actually have. It gives a visual snapshot of the team's capabilities, shows where cover is thin or missing, and turns training from a guess into a targeted plan.
The book's glossary defines it plainly: a grid that sets out, on one axis, the skills a team or project needs and, on the other, the skills each member actually has, so the gaps stand out. Bring one in when a new team is forming, or use it to steer how an existing team trains and develops. Without it, leaders tend to discover a missing skill at the worst possible moment: the one person who can run a process goes on leave, and nobody else has ever been trained.
- List the skills the work actually requires down one side: the tasks and capabilities the team must be able to perform, not job titles.
- List the team members across the top.
- Rate each person against each skill honestly. The ADX Skills Matrix tool rates from 0 (not trained) through trained, developing, and meets expectations, up to 5 (can teach others).
- Read the grid for gaps: skills where nobody scores well, and skills where only one person can do the work. Those single points of failure are your training priorities.
- Turn the gaps into a development plan: who trains, who teaches, and by when. The person rated 5 on a skill is usually the right trainer.
In ClarionEX, the Skills Matrix maps team capability, gaps, trainers, and learner priorities for development planning. Whichever tool you use, revisit the matrix after training and whenever the team or the work changes; a matrix from last year describes a team that may no longer exist.
Build one in the free Skills Matrix
Related questions
- How do I empower employees to improve their own work?
- What does "hungry, humble, and smart" mean for a team member?
- What is the leader's role in continuous improvement?
Source: the CI glossary in the book's Appendix; ADX site content: the Skills Matrix tool.