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Collaboration

Cross-collaboration

  • See diagram

  • Cross-team collaboration discipline is not a one-off thing. It is an ongoing process that needs to be a part of the company’s work culture.

  • Align project goals and share them with everyone

    • When there is a lack of clarity and alignment in the team, you will start seeing even more problems when you try to break the work down into different tasks and assign them to the members.

    • Each team member would handle the task with a different goal in mind, which will eventually lead the team to nowhere

    • To avoid situations like these, it is important for cross-functional teams to discuss the important goals before starting the work and make sure they align with the overall company goals as well as the goals set up by the different departments.

  • Establish a centralized communication method

    • make sure there is a centralized way for teams to communicate. Communication is one of the most important parts of any type of cross-team interaction. Without good cross-team communication, collaboration falls apart

  • Assign a single point of contact for each team - Establish structure at the very beginning

    • ensure there's only one contact person on both sides. This avoids confusion on different directions from the client, eliminates overlap of tasks, and helps in managing expectation

  • Promoting diversity

    • Diversity, of any kind, is a positive element to teamwork.

    • With an assortment of different professional experiences and skill sets on hand, it can provide the necessary tools and paths to tackle the problem in an inventive way.

  • Eliminating tribalism (tribal knowledge)

    • Tribalism within the workplace can be damaging to companies, and kill off any chance of a cross functional collaboration strategy.

  • Don’t be afraid to experiment

    • Cross-functional teams come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, which means there will be all sorts of methods that will help boost collaboration.
    • So, when it comes to finding the perfect formula for your team, remember it’s all about trial and error.

  • Celebrate as a Team