Most people if asked, would like to do away with the idea of cross-functional teams. Just let my department handle it one might say. It would be easier than having to worry about conflict and drama, that is only created because we have teams. Well, as much as we'd like to do without them, they aren't going away because they are strange and uncomfortable. They exist because we need cross-functional teams to achieve tasks like creating systems that cross boundaries, to produce complex products like cars (well maybe not so many cars these days), or for sustained coordinated efforts.
In addition, in a world where the only constant is change, the ability to manage change is a very desirable skill or ability for anyone on a team. Research was done in schools North West of England using the results of extensive interviews conducted with teachers at levels from Heads of Departments to trainee teachers. The researchers were able to conclude that team building is an effective methodology for managing change. Furthermore, the top five organizational barriers to facilitating change voiced by those in the study include: (1) Poor working relationships (91%), (2) Insufficient authority to get my job done effectively (87%), (3) Unclear understanding of my roles (75%), (4) Insufficient resources to get my work done effectively (64%), (5) No support for updating my skills (42%)¹
I've managed a few high performing teams and it is extremely rewarding to work with such a group. A team can produce much more than an individual on that team could produce on their own, unless a person was doing something routine like getting dressed in the morning for work. But if that same individual was dressing for an evening event and was female trying to get into a long, tight gown, they might just need a team. Synergy or the ability to accomplish more together than you can as individuals is often at work in a high performing team environment. When teams are not in sync or not playing nice together, they often make five mistakes. Working on these mistakes can turn a situation around, if focused attention is given to these key areas.
(1) Allowing Attitudes to Run Wild – When you see posters about attitude they say it is the little things that make a big difference. However, most of us don’t even know whether they have a good attitude or not. That is why measurement is key in this area. Having members of the team measure attitude of the other group members periodically and report back on the results, then develop action plans to address any deficiencies is a healthy exercise for any team, but especially for cross-functional teams. Learning how to focus on the positive aspects of issues, change negative energy into positive during meetings, finding humor in the situation and learning to tolerate people you don’t like are all valuable skills for people who perform well on cross functional teams. You may not want to poll team members as often as the American people are polled during elections, however, providing feedback on a key metric like attitude can prevent potential conflict issues and unnecessary drama in teams.
(2) Misguided Power Moves - There are all types of power beyond the traditional garden variety position power we all know and love so well. There is interpersonal power, influence power, leadership power, and social power. Each of these can have an impact on the team dynamics of a cross functional team, due to the variety of departments and personalities involved. Understanding how to maximize the positive uses of power and minimize the negative uses of power in cross-functional teams creates better team dynamics for all involved. If you think of a Chess set where each piece has different values or a role to play in the game, understanding each one’s power, moving the pieces to use that power and playing them at the right time allows the chess player to