Like a sports team...

Most teams that I have interacted with or been a part of include a lot of moving parts and specialized individuals. Like a sports team, each person had a role to play. Teams that I have worked with/on have been comprised of the following:

• QA Analyst
• UI/UX Designer
• Team Lead Engineer
• Front End Engineer
• Full Stack Engineer

Now, this is not always the make up of a product team, but it will give us a start to explain my point.

Explanation of individuals roles.

Lets introduce our fictional team!
Ana - is the QA Analyst. Their role is to make sure products that are moving to production are tested and functional.
Will - is the UI/UX Designer. Their role is to handle the design and user interaction of the product.
Ronan- is the team lead engineer. Their role is to assign and plan work, as well as assist in full stack engineering tasks
Christy - is the Front End Engineer. Their role is to implement the UI/UX design, and anything the user can see and interact with.
Eden - is the Full Stack Engineer. Their role is to assist with the front end implementation, but also the any back end technologies that are needed. They may create database structures, or write APIs.

What is cross-training?

Cross-training is training an individual on another individuals tasks. Our fictional team above lists each individuals brief specialty. An example of Cross Training would be if Will knew how to do Ana user testing task.

Why should we cross-train on our engineering teams?

Just like athletes should be well rounded, and cross train through a couple of different sports. Through cross training, engineering teams can benefit in efficiency, collaboration, agility, and even employee sustainability. Now, cross training does not automatically mean mastery, and an individuals skill set and career goals should be kept in mind.

A good example of cross training is the following:
Will, our UI/UX designer, has a functional understanding of the front end development limitations. Will may not be able to code out their wonderful layouts to the extent that Christy can, but they should understand what can and cannot be done, and technology standards.

Christy, Eden, and Ronan could have an understanding of process Ana does to test the product. This can help Ana during the testing process, if the engineers know what and how Ana is testing, limiting the amount of bugs and change cycles the product needs to go through.

Ronan, our lead engineer, knows that Christy is hoping to become a team lead one day. To help them reach their goals, Ronan may train Christy on leading scrums or managing peoples work load.

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How to cross train your team?

There are many ways to cross train your team, it can happen naturally through constant team work, or it can happen through organized interactions.
Suggestions:

• Brown Bag Presentations - Have one of your team members show something they have found or created. Give space for team members to ask questions or give feedback.
• Training Sessions - They are great for team members trying to take on more responsibility within the team. Have them plan and lead a team training session that introduces the basics of something within their specialty.
• Encourage individuals to learn new skills, and learn from each other.