Managing across organisations is really about influencing work in different parts of the enterprise so that teams of people do not work in silos and work gets aligned with the broader organisational objectives. Most organisations are structured around its functions. However, modern work rarely happens in isolation. More than ever, digital transformation and technologies have enabled a new era of collaborative work. Workplace silos are being torn down and more synergetic processes have emerged in their place. Departments are working together to create truly cohesive and integrated campaigns.
Managing cross-functional teams is indeed a challenge… and really no walk in the park. However, leading companies from across the world have overcome the challenge by bringing together people with a diverse set of experiences, skills and backgrounds and have integrated their competencies with enabling organisational structures and processes. This cross-functional collaboration can also speed up execution, minimise communication hiccups, and keep teams aligned around shared business goals and objectives.
Realistically, this can also lead to conflicts. The same cross-functional teams may introduce inefficiencies and biases as well as competing priorities. Managing all these moving parts, through effective management techniques, can eliminate the roadblocks that are holding teams back, thus setting up the company business for success. It is important to identify the barriers to cross-functional collaboration and address the same through appropriate organisational design.
So why are most organisations not addressing this important element? Perhaps they are unaware about how to go about this. A few things that could be done are:
One – clearly define shared goals and establish processes that make people come together to achieve the same.
Two – use the right communication channel and tool. Communication is key. However, what to communicate, the context and who communicates needs to be appropriately strategised and executed
Three – Build interpersonal trust by demonstrating, ability, integrity and benevolence. Trust is the foundation of any organisation. One can really inculcate trust through deliberate methods and processes.
And finally, have a system in place to manage differences and conflicts. Building cross-functional teams can often result in people jostling for power, influence, and limited resources. Conflict management systems are important to align diverse functions.
At TranscendOrg we are a group of people, passionately involved in building organisational capabilities. Successfully managing across organisation is a key element of an effective organisational design. We can do this together !