Project management tools like Asana, Workfront, or Trello can keep teams aligned on workflows and priorities. They can be particularly useful when team members are in different locations. Office communication tools like Slack and Google Chat and meeting technology tools like Zoom and BlueJeans can help establish open lines of communication across disparate teams in your company. Project management and office communication tools can enable much of this collaboration as long as your teams know how to use each tool effectively. Collaborative communication requires a shift in mindset-your team members must be able to see how opening up channels between teams will not only improve results but also help them do their jobs better. Use the right communication channels and toolsĮffective collaboration across cross-functional teams can feel a lot like herding cats, particularly when teams are used to working independently. When your team members understand their role in the process, they’re more likely to work cross-functionally with other teams to get the work done, leading to smarter, more sustainable decision-making. It’s also important to establish clear roles. Make sure the team is working collaboratively to develop goals that are clearly defined and measurable.Īllowing everyone on the team to contribute their thoughts will not only improve the quality of the goals you set but also help each team member feel ownership in the project. Determine the outcome you’re trying to achieve and map that back to the actual deliverables needed to achieve that goal. Project managers can fend off this discord by defining clear project goals. Without clear alignment on shared goals, team members may find it difficult to cooperate and collaborate. Because cross-functional teams are drawn from different departments within an organization, they often have different, and sometimes conflicting, agendas or legacy processes that could hinder performance. This will ultimately make it easier for you to include the best people for the project.Ī 2015 Harvard Business Review article notes that almost 75% of cross-functional teams are dysfunctional. As a project manager, it’s also important to make sure that you have the right players in place.Ĭreating detailed organizational charts can help you capitalize on team skills and find common ground among team members. Build your best teamĬross-functional teams benefit from the unique mix of skills and talents each member brings to the table. 8 strategies to effectively manage cross-functional teams 1. However, implementing effective management techniques can eliminate the roadblocks holding your teams back and set your business up for success. Managing all of these moving parts and personalities is no walk in the park for a project manager. These same cross-functional teams can introduce inefficiencies and biases as well as conflicting personalities, miscommunications, competing priorities, and more. This cross-functional collaboration can also speed up coordination and collaboration, minimize communication hiccups, and keep projects aligned around shared business goals and objectives. Bringing together people with a diverse set of experiences, skills, and backgrounds can infuse your projects with creativity and enhanced problem-solving. There’s a reason leading tech companies like Google, Facebook, Netflix, and Amazon embrace cross-team collaboration. Creating and managing truly cross-functional teams is a tall order, but project managers who embrace the challenge will see improvements in company culture, productivity, and happiness. These cross-functional teams are walking in lockstep, aligned by shared business goals. Departments are working together to create truly cohesive, integrated campaigns. Workplace silos are being torn down and more visible processes have emerged in their place. More than ever, digital transformation and collaborative technologies have enabled a new era of collaborative work.
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