Summary: The hot trend these days is to talk about cross-functional, self-organizing teams, and to disparage specialization. For example, Ken Schwaber wrote, “You don’t have to be a tester to test, or a designer to design.” But is that really true? Would you accept the following statements? If you’re a baseball player, you don’t have to be a pitcher to pitch, or a catcher to catch. If you’re a musician, you don’t have to be a violinist to play violin, or a pianist to play piano. If those statements make you uncomfortable, you’re not alone. In this webinar, Rex will explain why specialization matters. He will explain the science and psychology behind specialization. He will offer three specific case studies where a lack of specialized skills contributed to dramatic failures, and three case studies where the presence of skills averted similar failures. You’ll go away with some food for thought, and perhaps a determination to reorganize the way you manage your teams.
