The most common one is the T-shaped professional or more correctly T-shaped skills since we’re talking about abilities.
The original term was coined by Tim Brown, Chair of IDEO.
The vertical bar of the letter T represents the depth of the skills in a single field, instead, the horizontal bar is the ability to collaborate across disciplines in other areas.
These Shaped-Skills are in demand mostly for the ability to innovate and strengthen their organisations. For this reason, having people with these skills can be a competitive advantage.
So far there are few more distinction in the different types of skills one can use in the market:
- X-shaped, extracurricular activities and cross-training. Generally in leadership, strategy and team management.
- I-shaped, a specialist in one specific area. Usually without communication skills.
- E-shaped, combine 4 Es (experience, expertise, exploration, and execution). Mostly focused on execution by being able to transform ideas into reality.
- M-shaped, multiple specialities.
- Pi-shaped, combine breadth with multiple specialities (a combination of T and M-shaped).
- Dash-shaped, generalists. The breadth of experience, but little depth.
Further Readings
- A Primer on the T-professional
- T-shaped skills
- Organizations demand T-shaped professionals
- How to Get Hired: Understand If Youโre an I, T, or X-Shaped Person
- How Would You Build A Modern Workplace Learning Professional?
- T-Shaped Professionals
- Whatโs the X to your T-shaped professional profile?
- E-Shaped People, Not T-Shaped
- Productive Agile Teams: I, T, E and M Shaped People