On Agile teams no one owns anything. The team is collectively responsible for what they create.

Agile teams are “cross-functional.” They are “Whole Teams” consisting of a variety of experts with different skill sets.

On the surface it seems like there is an inherent contradiction between the above ideas. At least, there is a conflict.

I am an expert and I want to do the things for which I am an expert. There are other experts and they can do the things for which they are experts. Yet I don’t own any of the work, and somehow I am responsible for what other people do.

The Expertise Exists on the Team

I need to let go of the notion that I am the expert. There are simply a number of things that need to get done, and I should do the next one.  The next one might not be the one that is most comfortable for me.

I think that I am a rock star programmer. I think that I am a lousy interface designer. Yet if the next thing to do is to create an interface then my job is to do that.

But, I don’t know how to do it! Good. It’s time for me to learn. Does someone on my team know how? Maybe I should ask them.

Cross-functional doesn’t mean that someone knows how. Cross-functional means that anyone can do it, and anyone can ask for (and receive) help.

There are lots of benefits to this:

• Everyone learns the system.
• Everyone learns how to make the system better.
• Everyone learns how to ask for help.
• Everyone learns to help.
• Everyone learns.