The 0–3 rating scale
Copy this scale into any matrix. Each level describes what you can see in the work, so two people can agree on it. When unsure, choose the lower level.
| Level | Name | What you can see in the work | Questions to ask yourself |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Not yet | Has not done this task in the last six months, or has only watched it. Someone else would need to do it, or sit with them throughout. | Have I done this myself since April? |
| 1 | With help | Has done it with a guide or a colleague checking. Stops to ask at some steps. Someone checks the result before it goes out. | Could I do it next week if the usual person were away? Only with help? |
| 2 | On my own | Does the usual version to the team’s standard without help, and knows where to look when stuck. The result does not need checking. | Would anyone need to check my work on the usual case? |
| 3 | Handles the unusual | Deals with exceptions and errors, can say why each step exists, and colleagues bring their questions to them. | What did I do the last time this task went wrong? |
| C | Can coach (a flag) | Level 2 or 3, and willing to show a colleague in working time. A flag, not a level: someone at level 3 may say no. | Do I have time to show someone this in the next two months? |
Filled example: skills matrix
A fictional team of six. “3 C” means level 3 and can coach. A gap is a task that fewer than two people can do alone. Amira, Carys, Dmitri and Esi are each the only cover for one task.
| # | Skill or task | Amira | Ben | Carys | Dmitri | Esi | Finn | At 2 or 3 | Can coach | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | Set up a course in the learning system | 3 C | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | Covered |
| S2 | Book venues and external trainers | 2 | 0 | 3 C | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | Covered |
| S3 | Produce a live online session (rooms, breakouts, recording) | 1 | 3 C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | Covered |
| S4 | Run the monthly attendance and completion report | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Gap, no coach |
| S5 | Edit an e-learning module in the authoring tool | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 C | 0 | 1 | 1 | Gap |
| S6 | Arrange accessibility adjustments for a learner | 2 C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | Gap |
| S7 | Answer learner queries in the shared inbox | 2 | 2 C | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 C | 4 | 2 | Covered |
| S8 | Raise purchase orders and match supplier invoices | 1 | 0 | 3 C | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Gap |
Filled example: cross-training plan
Status at the review on Tuesday 17 November 2026: one done, two in progress, one planned; X4’s level check is four days overdue. Each pair takes its task to two people at level 2 or 3.
| # | Skill (gap) | Learner (level now) | Coach | Target | How they will practise | Hours | Start | Level check | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| X1 | S4 Run the monthly attendance and completion report | Finn (1) | Dmitri (not flagged) | 2 | Dmitri writes the steps as a one-page job aid by Fri 23 Oct. Finn runs the October report with Dmitri beside him, then the November report alone, with Dmitri checking the figures. | 3 | Mon 2 Nov | Wed 2 Dec | In progress |
| X2 | S5 Edit an e-learning module in the authoring tool | Carys (1) | Esi | 2 | Two one-hour sessions editing a copy of a live module. Then Carys makes the next requested change alone and Esi reviews it before it is published. | 4 | Mon 23 Nov | Fri 18 Dec | Planned |
| X3 | S6 Arrange accessibility adjustments for a learner | Ben (1) | Amira | 2 | Ben sits in on Amira’s next request. He handles the following two himself, and Amira reads each reply before it goes to the learner. | 2 | Mon 19 Oct | Fri 13 Nov | Done |
| X4 | S8 Raise purchase orders and match supplier invoices | Amira (1) | Carys | 2 | Amira raises the next three purchase orders with Carys checking each one, then matches one month of supplier invoices alone, with a review. | 3 | Mon 2 Nov | Fri 13 Nov | In progress |
Skills matrix
Blank version for six people. The printable sheet and the Excel matrix hold up to 12 people.
| # | Skill or task | P1 | P2 | P3 | P4 | P5 | P6 | 2–3 | Coach | Gap? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | ||||||||||
| S2 | ||||||||||
| S3 | ||||||||||
| S4 |
Turn a vague skill into a task row
People can rate a task they do. They cannot rate a trait. Use these when the draft rows are too broad.
| Too vague to rate | A task row people can rate | Why it works better |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | Answer learner queries in the shared inbox | Everyone can name the last time they did it. |
| Excel | Run the monthly attendance and completion report | It names the output, so level 2 has a clear test: the report needs no checking. |
| Learning system | Set up a course in the learning system | A system has many tasks. Split it into the two or three the team must cover. |
| Customer focus | Arrange accessibility adjustments for a learner | A trait cannot be covered when someone is away. A task can. |
| Finance | Raise purchase orders and match supplier invoices | It says which part of finance this team does. |
Skills matrix, training needs analysis or training plan?
Four tools that look alike. This kit is the first; the second and third are separate Superglue kits.
| Tool | Question it answers | Rows and columns | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skills matrix (this kit) | Who can do each team task today, and where does the work depend on one person? | Tasks by people, with levels 0–3 and a coach flag | Once a quarter, and when someone joins, leaves or goes on long leave |
| Training needs analysis | Is training the right answer to this performance problem, and which skills come first? | Tasks with a needed and a current level, scored for priority | Before you design a course |
| Training plan | What will a programme teach, in which sessions, and how will we check it? | Objectives, sessions, practice and evidence | After the needs analysis, before delivery |
| Compliance training record | Who holds which required certificate, and when does it expire? | People by certificates, with expiry dates | Where law or policy requires it. Not covered by this kit |
What you'll leave with
In 45 minutes a team of 4 to 12 people agrees 8 to 12 task rows, rates itself on the 0–3 scale, counts the tasks that fewer than two people can do alone and agrees three or four cross-training pairs, each with a learner, a coach, a first step, hours and a date for the level check.
Before the session
- For team leads, trainers and facilitators who want to see where a team of 4–12 people depends on one person, and plan who learns what from whom. Use it once a quarter or when someone joins or leaves.
- Draft 8 to 12 task rows with two team members: tasks with a verb, not traits. Print the scale and one rating card per person, and prepare one matrix on paper or a shared screen.
- Decide before the session who will see the matrix: the team and its lead. Say in the invitation that it will not go to appraisal, pay or HR files, and keep to that.
- Send the scale, the task list and the rating card a day early as plain text for screen readers. Ratings are written, not spoken; anyone can leave a row blank or pass. Cameras are optional online. Levels are numbers, not colours.
How to fill it in with your team
Set the purpose and the rules
Say: “Today we find the tasks that only one of us can do, so that nobody is stuck when someone is away. This is not an appraisal. The matrix stays in this team and does not go to pay or HR files. You rate yourself, and you can leave any row blank.” Read the four levels and the coach flag aloud. Add two rules: rate the last six months of real work, and when you are unsure, choose the lower level.
Agree the task rows
Show the draft rows. Give two minutes of silent reading: each person writes on their card any task that is missing, or a row that is too vague to rate. Take five minutes to agree the list. Turn traits into tasks: not “communication” but “answer learner queries in the shared inbox”. Split a row when people would rate its parts differently. Stop at 12 rows.
Rate yourself in silence
Each person fills in their rating card alone: a level from 0 to 3 for each task, C where they can coach, L where they want to learn, and the last time they did the task. Say: “Rate what you have done, not what you could do. A 1 is useful information, not a weakness.” Nobody reads anyone else’s card. Give a one-minute warning.
Fill the matrix
Each person copies their own column onto the shared matrix, all at the same time, which takes about four minutes. Online, each person types in their own column. In the remaining four minutes, everyone reads the matrix in silence. Ask one question only: “Is there a row where your level surprises you now that you see the others?” A person may change their own rating. Nobody changes someone else’s.
Count the cover
For each row, count the people at level 2 or 3 and the coaches, and write them in the last columns. Mark a row as a gap when fewer than two people can do the task alone. Read the gaps aloud. For each gap, ask: “What happens to this task if that person is away for two weeks?” Mark the gaps that have no coach.
Agree cross-training pairs
Start with the gap that would hurt most. For each one, the learner is a volunteer with an L, often at level 1; the coach is someone with a C. Agree the first step, the hours and the date of the level check. A level check means: the learner does the usual case alone and the coach looks at the result. Where a gap has no coach, ask the level-3 person to write the steps down first. Agree three or four pairs, and no more than one pair per coach.
Close
Read back the pairs, the hours and the check dates. Agree the date of the review, about four weeks away, and who keeps the matrix. Say: “At the review we update only the rows that changed.” Ask each person for one word on how that felt, aloud or in the chat, or a pass.
Participant worksheet
Copy this table into a document, or print the worksheet from the bundle. Share only what you choose.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Rating scale | Four levels from 0 (not yet) to 3 (handles the unusual), each described by what you can see in the work, plus a can-coach flag |
| Rating card | One per person: level, coach flag, want to learn and the last time you did each task |
| Skills matrix | Tasks by people, with the count at level 2 or 3, the coaches and the gaps |
| Cross-training plan | For each gap: learner, coach, how they will practise, hours, start and level check |
| Filled example | A fictional learning operations team of six: matrix, one rating card and the plan at its first review |
Debrief questions
- Which gap surprised us most, and what would happen to that task if its one person were away for two weeks?
- Where did a self-rating feel hard, and what would make the level easier to judge next time?
- Which coach is carrying too much, and who could share the load?
- What will be different in four weeks if the pairs keep their check dates?
Adapt it for your group
- For a team of four or five, skip the shared copying step: the facilitator writes each column from the cards while people read. Aim for two pairs, not four, so that fewer people coach and learn at the same time.
- For a 25-minute version, agree the task rows by message the week before and ask people to bring a filled rating card. In the session, fill the matrix, count the cover and agree two pairs.
- Online, share the matrix as a document in which each person edits only their own column. Collect cards privately by message if people prefer. Keep cameras optional, read each gap aloud and turn on captions.
- For quiet participants, people working in a second language and anyone uneasy about showing a low level, keep every rating written and never ask anyone to explain one aloud. A person can hand the card to the facilitator instead of copying it up, or leave a row blank.
- After a restructure or when trust is low, show only the counts and gaps to the team, not individual levels. The lead keeps the full matrix and uses it only to agree cross-training pairs with volunteers.
After the session
Send the matrix and the plan on the same day. Each coach books the first practice slot within a week. At the review, about four weeks later, update only the rows that changed and close the pairs whose level check is done. Repeat the full session once a quarter, and add a row when a new task arrives. When a gap has no coach, ask the level-3 person to write the steps as a one-page job aid before the cross-training starts.
Questions people ask
What should a skills matrix template include?
A list of tasks the team must cover, a column per person and a rating scale in which each level describes what you can see in the work. Add a flag for who can coach, a count of people who can do each task alone, a mark for each gap and a plan for who learns what from whom. This kit has all of these, with a filled example.
How do you rate skills in a skills matrix?
Each person rates themselves on each task from 0 (not yet) to 3 (handles the unusual), using the last six months of real work. When unsure between two levels, choose the lower one. Ratings are written first and copied into the matrix; nobody changes another person’s rating.
Can we use the matrix for appraisals or pay?
No. The matrix shows where the team depends on one person, so that the team can spread cover. If ratings could affect pay or appraisal, people would rate themselves up and the gaps would disappear from the sheet but not from the work. Say this in the invitation and keep the matrix in the team.
How is this different from the training needs analysis template?
The training needs analysis template checks whether training is the right answer to one performance problem and ranks skill gaps for a course. This skills matrix is an ongoing team tool: it shows which tasks fewer than two people can do and plans cross-training inside the team. Use the needs analysis when a gap is too big to close by cross-training, and the training plan template when you then design the programme.
Is a skills matrix the same as a training matrix?
The names are often used for the same thing. In some workplaces a training matrix means a record of required certificates and their expiry dates. This kit does not track certificates or expiry dates and is not a compliance or legal record.
What is included in the free and editable files?
The open PDF has the rating scale, examples of task rows, the rating card, the blank matrix for up to 12 people, the cross-training plan, a filled example of the matrix, the plan and one rating card, and the 45-minute session. Subscribers also receive the editable Word file, an Excel workbook that counts cover, marks gaps and flags overdue level checks, and a CSV of the example matrix.
How to use the files
Print the PDF, edit the Word file in Word or Google Docs, or open the CSV or XLSX in a spreadsheet. Open files need no email.
Can I use this with paying clients?
Yes. Use and adapt this original Superglue kit in your own training, including paid client sessions. Please share this page rather than redistributing the unmodified kit. Read the full usage terms.