If an “I” shaped skillset is very deep in one area and not much else, a “T” shape is a skillset that’s deep in one area (the vertical part of the T) with some general knowledge of others (the horizontal part of the T).  Generally these folks have a broader range of interests or responsibilities than someone who is “I” shaped, resulting in a broader skillset.  These individuals may also have been on the path to be an “I” shape and made the conscious (or not!) choice to broaden vs. deepen their skillset.

I find “T” shapes to be good at putting together a broader picture, or investigating new areas (think a Business Systems Analyst, project manager, etc).  Their broad skillset allows them to more easily interface with other groups and understand new topics at a higher level, while their single deeper skill can have them either leading or assisting where an “I” shape would be.  These individuals can take the place of an “I” in some areas, but you need to be careful since the depth of the “T” tends to be shallower than that of an “I”.

The upside of a T

T-shaped skillsets result in an individual to have one area of in-depth focus.  It also results in them having at least a passing familiarity with other areas of the business, systems or processes.  This allows them to dig into one area of expertise, while also making it easier for them to flex into other areas or to draw from their other experiences.  This more rounded approach can result in more novel solutions to challenges, or help break out of challenges than an “I” shape may get stuck on.

“T” shapes also tend to be more open to exploring new areas or learning new skills.  This makes them useful in situations where different teams or groups have to come together as they can “talk the talk” of both sides.  In addition, the depth of the “T” can have them serving as the technical expert as well, eliminating the need to bring in more resources.  While each individual and situation will have it’s own requirements, having someone who is more flexible on the team can be a huge help.  This deeper expertise also makes it easier for them to work with “I” shaped individuals in a similar field; they’ll very likely share many concepts, skills and ideas.

The downside of a T

While a “T” shape does allow for some in-depth expertise, it is uncommon that it will be as in-depth as an “I” shaped skillset.  This is generally due to the “T” shape drawing energy away to build the general skillsets, however, may also relate to the interest an individual has in any one area.  Some folks simply aren’t interested enough to learn EVERYTHING about a particular area, so use the time that would be spent drilling deep to expand into other areas.  This can be detrimental as the “T” shaped skillset may not be able to handle the complexity of some scenarios, requiring more resources.

While “T” shapes have a breadth of skills, the depth of many of them may be lacking.  This could be due to a lack of need (e.g. “I know enough project management to get by”), lack of resources (“I never got formal training) or lack of interest (“I started learning XYZ but got bored”).  This may result in situations where a “T” quickly gets in over their head.

As noted “T” shapes offer a lot of advantages.  Not only do they have a single deep skillset, they have many other skills that can be applied.  This makes them great for throwing at problems that relate to the area of interest as they’ll be able to apply multiple tools or ways of thinking to the challenge.  This may also be hazardous since they may end up over their head.  Unless they’ve learned to raise a flag for help (or are closely watched) this can quickly lead to big problems.

The depth of a “T”’s area of focus may also not be as deep as you need for any particular task.  While they may seem to know enough, they can quickly get blind-sided by some obscure or specific thing that they don’t know how to handle.  While this can be mitigated by their broader skills (e.g. knowing how to ask for help, how to research the problem, etc.) it can lead to project delays or other challenges.  Until you’re at a stage where you can gauge their comfort, it may be beneficial to regularly check in to see what support they need.

You can support a “T” by learning if they want to deepen their focus, or expand their range.  Deepening their focus may involve getting them more specialized training, pairing them up with an “I” (or another “T”) who has the same focus, or letting them take on more challenging work in that area.  This will give them a deeper focus, but may also reduce their breadth.  Supporting their range could involve assigning them to work on projects related to their focus (e.g. if they’re a lawyer put them on something just outside their speciality), or embedding them on other teams to learn how they work.  This will increase their breadth, but may reduce the depth of their focus.

If you’re a T

Understanding where your focus is and how wide you want your breadth to get is important to being a successful “T”.  Knowing the limits of your focus is critical to knowing when to ask for help or call in support, and will also help you learn where you can expand (if you choose to).  Knowing how wide your skillset goes will help you avoid flinging yourself off the deep end.

You may also end up being the swiss army knife on your team - the one person who can be counted on to assist anywhere.  Clearly communicating those boundaries to your team will also help you avoid situations where you’re expected to perform but have no clue what’s happening.  While your interest and skills may be broad, they do have limits!  That said, these can be great opportunities to expand your general skills since they’ll be new.