A T-shaped skill profile is broad basic knowledge across the survival skills every member needs, together with real depth in one or two crafts. The crossbar gives everyone the awareness to cope and to cover for others in an emergency, but it is awareness and not permission, so nobody is allowed to run a hazardous machine on the strength of a basic familiarity with it.
Part of Cross-Training Program
The pattern of broad basic knowledge plus one or two deep skills in each person, and how a community uses profiles to find its gaps.
The Crossbar And The Stem
The carrier article describes the ideal community member as T-shaped: broad basic knowledge across many areas and deep expertise in one or two. Its diagram puts water, fire, first aid, cooking, building and gardening along the top, with the deep skills (in its example carpentry and animal care) as stems.
The broad bar is the carrier’s universal basics: every person should be able to purify water, start a fire, perform basic first aid, identify 10 edible plants and cook a basic meal. The stem is the primary skill pursued to journeyman level or beyond, and the second shorter stem is the secondary skill at practitioner level (Primary vs Secondary Skills).
The reason for the shape is resilience. Deep experts with no breadth cannot cover for each other; broad generalists with no depth cannot do the hard jobs. A community of T-shaped people can do both. The Division of Labor article says much the same: every Tier 1 and Tier 2 role needs at least one backup with basic competency.
Awareness Is Not Permission
The crossbar is easy to misread. Knowing in outline how the village pressure vessel works is useful, since it lets anyone spot a leak or a blocked vent and call for help. It does not qualify anyone to run it. The skill ladder gives permission by tested level (Skill Progression Framework), and the crossbar sits below the first rung. Say this out loud when profiles are drawn up, because a list of “people who can do X” turns into a list of “people who will be asked to do X in an emergency” very quickly.
What You Need
- The universal basics list, agreed and taught to everyone.
- A skills inventory with depth marked, which the Skill Assessment article describes as verified and depth-scored.
- A coverage view of the community, not just per person.
- A way to teach the basics, often to children as part of their schooling (Practical Skills).
Worked Example: A Coverage Grid
Take five people and four vital skills, with depth marked N (none), B (basic), P (practitioner) or J (journeyman or above). This grid is invented for illustration.
| Person | Smithing | Medicine | Water systems | Pressure vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | J | P | B | N |
| B | B | J | P | N |
| C | N | B | J | P |
| D | N | N | B | J |
| E | P | N | N | B |
Count the people at practitioner level or above for each skill: smithing has A and E (2), medicine has A and B (2), water systems has B and C (2), the pressure vessel has C and D (2). Each vital skill has 2 holders at P or above. The grid also shows weak spots at a glance: E holds the pressure vessel only at basic level, and D is the only journeyman in it.
Method: Using Profiles
Step 1: Record each person’s profile. Depth, not claims.
Step 2: Build the grid. Count practitioner-level holders for each vital skill.
Step 3: Find the gaps: skills with fewer than two holders, or two holders in one household (Cross-Training Program).
Step 4: Plan training to fill them, using secondary skills and apprenticeships.
Step 5: Update yearly, since depth fades without practice.
Common Mistakes
- Using profiles to rank people. They map coverage.
- Treating basics as qualifications.
- Everyone broad, nobody deep. The stem matters.
- Self-reported depth. It must be tested.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Procedure Documentation — writing down what the deep experts know
- Combine with: Skill Progression Framework — what each depth level permits