Teamwork, communications and shared objectives are essential for cross-functional collaboration and project success.
Cross-functional collaboration can make or break success. No matter how well a particular department or team performs, it is largely useless if done in isolation. Just like a car won’t go if you press the accelerator and the engine isn’t connected properly, a company won’t achieve results if the units and people aren’t connected properly. Here are a few questions to ponder:
- On a cross-functional project with two department teams, can one team/department be viewed as successful if the other one isn’t?
- Do your teams attempt to talk in the other team’s preferred style or in their own?
- Do the teams understand the objective and why cross-functional collaboration is required?
- Are team members rewarded for individual success or for cross-functional success?
- Are there opportunities provided to learn collaboration and communication skills?