Within an organization, teams and departments typically develop their own bonds and their own ways of communicating. But what happens when people from various business functions are brought together for a specific project?
There are many advantages to cross-functional teams, which combine skills and resources to move projects forward and solve problems creatively. But the challenge lies in making sure that these disparate team members communicate effectively.
In this post, we’ll look at the benefits of open and secure communication in cross-functional teams, and show you the best ways to foster it.
A cross-functional team is made up of individuals or groups representing different departments or business functions within an organization. For example, members of the sales, marketing, product development, and customer experience teams may join forces to launch a new product.
Such teams are typically brought together to collaborate on specific projects and work toward a common goal. They pool their diverse skills and perspectives to come up with innovative solutions, resulting in accelerated decision-making and successful project outcomes.
So, now we know the importance of effective communication in cross-functional teams—but how do we put it into practice? Let’s find out.
The composition of your cross-functional team will depend on the particular project and business requirements. But whichever departments you’re bringing together, it’s a good idea to select people whose skills and experiences complement each other.
We’re not just talking about work-related abilities. Teams with members from diverse backgrounds are better-placed to find creative solutions, since they can see the objectives and challenges from various perspectives.
Make sure your hiring practices are inclusive and consider tracking some diversity metrics, to help you avoid building a team with particular blindspots or unnoticed bias.
Ensure diversity and inclusion are part of your company culture, too. Having a diverse team and giving them a safe platform from which to voice their opinions, provide feedback, and collaborate with others creates a foundation of open communication across the company.
For larger cross-functional teams, you could appoint individuals from each unit to act as “liaisons” for the project. Their role is to align the goals and processes of the different teams, and to enable smoother communication through a clear understanding of what each team does.
Liaisons will help to clarify information, such as translating technical terms or jargon into language that all team members can understand.
For example, if the team is designing a new website, the creatives and the coders will be used to their own respective terminology, and it’s important to bridge that gap until they’re all on the same page.
Your team members may be good communicators, but it’s worth providing extra training on open and secure communication within the context of a cross-functional team. Make sure everyone’s up to speed on avoiding silos, offering constructive feedback, and practicing active listening.
DEI (Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion) training is also important, especially if the team encompasses various cultures and nationalities. Plus, everyone will need to know how to access and use your company’s communication and collaboration tools effectively.
On the subject of tools, your cross-functional teams will need the means to communicate openly and securely. There’s plenty of user-friendly technology available to help, from group messaging apps to video conferencing platforms with built-in whiteboarding.
You’ll want to make it easy to share documents and data, but make sure your new software comes with top-notch security and the ability to customize access permissions. It’s also helpful if your communication channels integrate with existing software such as project management tools.
Every cross-functional team should have a detailed plan for the project they’re undertaking, outlining roles and responsibilities as well as specific tasks, deliverables, and timelines. When expectations are completely clear for all, there’s no risk of misunderstandings or unfair allocation of work.
You can also add guidelines for how and when the members should communicate, including an escalation chain for unresolved issues. This will help information to flow more smoothly through the team, and make sure that any problems are flagged up early.
Cross-functional team members may still have their own departmental work to complete alongside the collaborative project. You’ll need to accommodate this to avoid potential scheduling conflicts. Ask for everyone’s input so that you can set realistic timelines, and stay flexible to accommodate unexpected changes.
It helps to have a holistic view of the business architecture, so that you can see what is actually possible with the available infrastructure. This will allow you to map objectives and strategies to the organization’s IT capabilities.
Open communication means that everyone has the chance to be heard, and everyone should feel comfortable with suggesting ideas, giving feedback, or speaking up about a problem. Some folks are naturally quieter than others, so be proactive in asking for their input.
All team members should know how to deliver and receive constructive criticism, while leaders should recognize and reward positive contributions to boost motivation. You can use team feedback about processes, tools, and training to improve communication in future projects.
As we mentioned, effective team communication involves being open about challenges and problems as well as putting ideas forward. If a conflict arises within the cross-functional team, it’s important to deal with it quickly before it affects morale and performance.
Leaders and liaisons should keep a close eye on productivity, motivation, and the general vibe of the team to look out for potential problems. For example, there could be tension between traditional, remote, and hybrid workers – perhaps the traditional workers are expecting answers during hours your flexible team doesn’t always work. In a case like that, leaders should look for solutions that suit both parties, such as designated check-in times.
Another way to catch any issues before they escalate is to hold regular meetings and check-ins to monitor progress and teamwork. These might be quick daily huddles to check that everyone’s on track, or weekly meetings to discuss successes and obstacles and adjust timelines if needed.
Team catch-ups may happen in-person and/or virtually, making sure that remote workers are always included. It’s also a good idea to strengthen camaraderie within the team by holding occasional team-building activities or social events.
Make sure that any tool used by your cross-functional team is fully secure. Look for communication software with features like end-to-end encryption and multi-factor authentication, and install updates promptly. All team members must know your security protocols for safe internal and external communication.
It’s also worth maintaining a knowledge base where they can check the latest information, including specific industry regulations and what to do if they suspect a breach.
Within cross-functional teams, open and secure communication improves the following:
Open communication breaks down silos between departments, making it easier to work as a team. This leads to faster problem-solving and more innovation. It also improves efficiency, as clear communication reduces delays, misunderstandings, and duplicated work.
With open communication, roles and responsibilities within the team are clearly defined, and everyone is on the same page about expectations, goals, and deadlines.
This promotes accountability, with each member taking responsibility for their own tasks while understanding how they fit into the overall project.
The purpose of a cross-functional team is to pool skills and knowledge. When this is communicated clearly and securely, it’s easier for decision-makers to act quickly and confidently, based on the latest information from the different teams.
Open communication contributes toward an environment of trust, encouraging feedback and constructive criticism with all perspectives welcomed. It also fosters transparency in decision-making and leadership, with everyone kept informed about processes and changes.
When there’s a culture of open and secure communication, everyone takes responsibility for security. Team members can ask questions and share knowledge about protocols such as data privacy compliance. Encrypted communication channels also help to keep business-related information safe.
When you implement any new practice in your organization, there will be a few challenges to navigate. Improving communication for cross-functional teams is no exception, and it largely involves making sure everyone is singing from the same song sheet.
For example, we already mentioned the need to address potential communication issues caused by variances in language and culture. If yours is a global business, your cross-functional teams may also have to work around varying time zones, using asynchronous communication. A few other challenges to consider include:
When cross-functional teams have the means to communicate openly and securely, they can overcome challenges like siloed information and cultural barriers. Clearly-defined roles and expectations lead to greater efficiency and accountability, while transparent communication builds trust.
This has the knock-on effect of improving business processes, for better products and services and great customer experiences. Follow our tips to foster open and secure communication and give your business a competitive advantage.
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