Here's how you can maximize the advantages of cross-functional collaboration in a career in Culture Change.

Embracing diversity within your team is crucial for maximizing cross-functional collaboration. Each member brings a unique perspective and set of experiences to the table, which can greatly enrich discussions and decision-making processes. By valuing and encouraging different viewpoints, you create an environment where creative solutions to challenges can emerge more readily. Foster open communication and respectful dialogue among team members, acknowledging and appreciating the contributions of everyone involved. This inclusive approach not only strengthens team dynamics but also leads to more innovative and effective outcomes.

It all starts with Trust & Mutual Respect for each other and for other functions. Once that bonhomie and mutual understanding is set, acceptance to change becomes easy.

You can get the best diversity of thinking from a cross-functional team when you begin with facilitation processes that elicit divergent ideas. Start with as unconstrained solutions as possible and then start filtering the ideas for what would work best for this specific challenge.

Embracing diversity in cross-cultural collaboration involves recognizing and valuing the unique perspectives, experiences, and skills that individuals from different cultural backgrounds bring to the table. This approach fosters innovation and creativity by combining varied viewpoints to solve problems and generate ideas. To effectively harness the benefits of diversity, it is essential to cultivate an inclusive environment where all team members feel respected and empowered to contribute. Encouraging open dialogue, actively listening to diverse voices, and providing equal opportunities for participation are crucial steps.

Definitivamente, el cambio cultura, dentro de una organización, nace desde la necesidad de virar la forma de pensar y hacer de todos los equipos. Lo que más prima en este proceso, es el alineamiento de todos los líderes, así como tu participación continua en el plan de cambio, comunicación e incluir en los procesos de gestión las competencias y valores que primarán en la nueva cultura. Recordemos que todo cambio, es un proceso que tendrá altas y bajas, pero la única manera de lograrlo es a través de la comunicación constante entre los líderes, y de los líderes con sus equipos de trabajo. Recursos Humanos es un equipo clave, para la movilización y sensibilización de este plan de trabajo.

At the heart of collaboration lies effective communication, the cornerstone of success. It is responsibility of a culture change agent to ensure that all team members are aligned, and this can only be achieved through clear, concise, and consistent messaging. Effective communication involves utilizing tools and strategies that foster open dialogue. Regular meetings and platforms are vital for keeping everyone informed and engaged. Prioritizing transparency and active listening builds trust and facilitates a smoother exchange of ideas, ultimately driving the cultural change forward. By committing to these principles, you not only enhance collaboration but also empower your team to achieve common goals with greater efficiency and creativity

Enhance cross-functional collaboration in culture change by implementing role rotation. Temporarily assigning team members to different departments deepens their organisational understanding and empathy. For instance, rotating marketing with product development led to more realistic strategies and informed priorities in my previous roles. Hold regular debrief sessions after major projects to discuss successes and areas for improvement. This continuous reflection refines collaboration processes and fosters a learning-oriented environment. In conclusion this "role rotation" and reflective practices maximize diverse perspectives and continuous learning, driving sustainable culture change.

Listening is a key skill in the communication space. Many a times it so happens that the loudest voices are heard however we loose out on some critical inputs and thoughts in this loudness. Giving everyone an opportunity to be heard and feel valued is of true essence rather than just being carried away by the noise.

Desde mi experiencia la clave de la colaboración comienza con tener realmente objetivos compartidos, claridad del propósito y alineación, la mayor parte de los equipos pasan más del 90% de su tiempo en reuniones de coordinación y seguimiento de entregables, olvidando la importancia de otro tipo de reuniones claves para colaborar como las retrospectivas, dise?o de futuro, acuerdo de funcionamiento, contención entre otras que ademas de garantizar resultados contribuyan a desarrollar, mantener y/o reparar relaciones.

'Communicate, communicatie, communicate,' A sentence of one of my role model leaders which is always in my mind. With that it's not only about creating and sharing the story of the why and urgency the change and new way of working. It's also about stepping into the shoes of all people involved to understand what they need to be able to engage. Although the change agent can be the driver/accelerator of the change the credibility of the sponsor/leadership is crucial. It's a must that they are the role models of the aspired cultural change.

Besides setting clear objectives, we work a lot with visual management such as Obeya. A transparent space where people come together to create alignment across the organisation. This way, departments and teams gain insight into how they contribute to the strategy and company purpose, what the dependencies are, prioritise, track progress in a steady rhythm, celebrate success and continuously improve, among other things. A leadership system that supports guidance, focus and helps to execute your strategy successfully.

What sets winning culture change teams apart? Crystal clear goals! Everyone (Sales, HR, IT) needs to know exactly what success looks like. Set SMART objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound). This keeps everyone focused, rowing in the same direction, and celebrating big wins along the way!

Explaining the WHY is key. For any team to function properly, there is a need for them to know the why or the context and rationale of what is being expected out of them. If this is made clear, a significant part is accomplished as it helps in bringing everyone to a common understanding

Having a cross-functional mindset when setting goals can help ensure that teams are rewarded for working together, rather than only individual functional metrics. Define goals that reinforce areas where cooperation is key, such as meeting commitments to customers. How do the sales and logistics teams need to collaborate to delight customers? They will have specific goals in each function as well as shared metrics to encourage working together.

Desde mi experiencia es clave generar la cultura de trasparencia y retroalimentación como la vía para generar aprendizajes e inteligencia colectiva, crecer colaborativamente significa que me siento segura de cometer errores o mostrarme vulnerable, y también de que mi logro es el de todos y celebrar juntos.

Accountability comes from the individual's personal interests and passions. Arrange 1-1 and group discussions. Just to remind you, some people will never speak if not addressed personally. Encourage open discussion and initiative to get a deeper understanding of preferences and help people take on new roles and jobs according to their interests. Gently help them build the roadmap if they need more experience and help with regular checkups. In different cultures, people open up at various speeds. Highlight the best qualities that can help people succeed. Launch experience exchange sessions to enable learning from each other's backgrounds.

Para ser parte del cambio, es necesaria la autonomía. Hoy en día trabajar en una empresa en la cual la agilidad y la transformación organizacional son puntos que están ocurriendo, es necesario ser autónomo, comunicar que hace uno en el día a día y cómo está impactando en el cambio. Con esto se desarrolla el accountability, lo cual es una competencia necesaria para adaptarse ha entornos cambiantes.

A crucial strategy is leveraging the strengths of each team member. Identify and utilize the unique skills and knowledge that individuals bring to the table. When you play to each person’s strengths, you not only optimize their contributions but also boost morale and engagement. This strategic approach accelerates the pace of culture change by ensuring tasks are assigned to those best equipped to handle them effectively. By focusing on individual strengths, you create a more cohesive and efficient team capable of achieving transformative results.

Embracing diversity of skillsets in the team and then capitalising on them helps is fostering a positive environment within the team which also helps to drive success. Allowing a team member to play in his/her strengths areas helps in engaging them better and also making the best of what we have.

Recomiendo plenamente hacer inventario de capacidades y preferencias para saber como potenciar al equipo y sus dinámicas cuando trabajamos desde nuestro potencial aparece nuestra mejor versión, cuando estamos en las falencias se activan nuestras defensas.

One crucial element is fostering a culture of continuous learning. Encourage your team to seek new knowledge and skills to enhance their contributions. Provide opportunities for professional development and create a space where learning from both successes and failures is valued. This commitment to growth improves individual and team performance, reinforcing a culture that is adaptable and resilient in the face of change.

Encourage continuous learning and improvement within the team. Promote an environment where team members can learn from each other and from the outcomes of their collaborative efforts, leading to ongoing development and refinement of strategies. It helps if you, as a leader in culture change, demonstrate the behaviors and attitudes you want to see in your team. Show openness to new ideas, willingness to collaborate, and commitment to shared goals.

One thing to be weary of is turning culture change into a department. Obviously somebody needs to take charge an drive the change initiatives, but do not create a department. I have seen continuous improvement stall because it turned into a department. Then improvement became the responsibility of the department and everybody else just saw the continuous improvement people as interference. Same thing happens with quality departments. Everybody else is quick to divorce themselves from responsibility. To keep culture change going you need to constantly involve as many people as possible. Rotate change team members, get fresh ideas in etc.

Design think is a beautiful approach to make use of different insights and perspectives, without one single person being too dominant or all knowing. Working on large scale problems or transitions, this is a good method, since is it both structured and open enough to let the magic happen. Everyone feels heard and seen, and together, new perspectives show up. This method enhances the power of the group.