How can you ensure cross-functional teams are aware of each other's progress?

Ensuring cross-functional teams are aware of each other's progress hinges on defining clear roles and expectations. In my leadership experience, clarity is key. Each team member needs to understand not just their role, but how their work fits into the larger project. Regular updates and open communication channels are essential. I encourage teams to share progress in a way that's accessible to everyone, bridging the gap between different areas of expertise. This approach fosters a unified vision and seamless collaboration, vital for the success of complex projects

Considering the topic "Define clear roles and expectations", I suggest: - making clear what each team is responsible for and perhaps even more important, what each team isn't responsible for. By doing so, it will further reduce or eliminate confusion, duplication, or missed assignments.

Clear roles and expectations should be established not only within project teams but also in the C-Suite. In some organizations the relationship between the Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Technology Officer or the Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Marketing Officer can be vague or contentious. Understanding and respecting how members of an executive team support each other’s organizational success, and how each adds strategic value to the firm builds a more collaborative and congruent corporate environment.

Again the most important factor in managing the customer relations. As if we are strong internally then we can do better things. So majorly the relationship of the people between cross team is important. Also, the exact clarity of the role one is having. This helps getting things done in a proper way and setting up a clear process.

Following the more modern "Product Operating Model", it states that the core team needed to deliver successful Product outcomes rather than just high-velocity output (the difference being output itself may not be valuable for customers, whereas outcomes for customers are by definition valuable regardless of how much output it took to deliver) is the Product Team (Product Manager, Engineers, Designers, Ops and other supporting roles). These individuals should collaborate in real-time daily to discover what customers/stakeholders want and then deliver outcomes iteratively and continuously.

Effective cross-team communication is pivotal in tech organizations. Engineering Managers serve as vital connective tissue, spotting potential missed dependencies and upcoming inbound workstreams. Strengthening the engineering management layer, ensuring they form a cohesive, communicative unit, can significantly ease the complexities of cross-functional work. Product Managers and Staff Engineers also play key roles. Each brings a unique perspective to dependencies and requirements across teams, making these roles coupled with the engineering management layer the heartbeat of any engineering organization. Regular, strategic communication among these parties is essential for smooth cross-functional collaboration.

Frequently critical communications must filter through layers of relationship managers and team leaders before it ever reaches the associates who must do the work. The quality of communication deteriorates as it moves through each layer. Today’s communication technology should allow for as many team members as possible to hear the same message at the same time if possible. I understand that in a global organization this may not be completely feasible, but organizations should strive to minimize the number of layers the same message must move through.

It's not just the frequency of communication that matters, it's the quality of what is being shared -it needs to be meaningful, relevant, and timely. You also need to establish a culture of communication where other team members engage and act on the information being shared--especially important in large and dispersed teams across multiple channels.

A great way for teams to keep their finger on the pulse, is to work out loud. This can also be via a two-pronged approach, providing digital self-serve options (digital Kanban, JIRA board), and regular connection routines, like short weekly stand ups (well organised, short and sharp - I'm sure we've all seen long and disorganised stand ups unravel). It is key for leaders to closely manage distractions and not to have TOO many channels. A ding from a team message, a calendar full of meetings, an e-mail, a text, slack, Jira, this template, that template. You may laugh but I see it a LOT. A distracted and cognitive overloaded workforce is simply not being enabled to perform at their best. Leaders have a hand in mitigating distraction.

This is going to make or break the project. It is paramount that these lines of communication are established. This too can be kept simple. There should be a project manager and potentially stake holders, then you have your project team, ensure the project team understands that the manager is the go to and in turn the stake holders are generally looking at the coloring books and crayons at the end of the "data gathering & prettying up". Truthfully, I think we tend to lean into these cookie cutter methods that worked for others and tend to get lost in some of the details. Remember it is okay to deviate from the guidelines if needed but make sure we are getting what is required in the long run to keep folks happy.

Fomentar actividades de team building que no estén directamente relacionadas con el trabajo puede ser una manera efectiva de reforzar la cultura compartida y la visión del equipo. Esto incluye actividades como talleres creativos o clases de cocina. Estas actividades permiten a los miembros del equipo interactuar en contextos diferentes, fomentando la comunicación informal y fortaleciendo las relaciones interpersonales.

Developing a shared vision and culture that transcends individual team boundaries is vital. Salesforce excels in this by creating a company-wide culture of 'Ohana', which emphasises unity and shared values. This shared culture helps cross-functional teams align on a common purpose and understand how their contributions fit into the broader company vision.

Establishing a shared vision and culture is paramount when leading a cross-functional team towards any goal. In my experience as an Omnichannel Retail Manager, creating alignment of the different pieces of a cross-functional team aids in progressing towards that OKR or KPI. The motto we use at my current employer is “One Team, One Dream”. We generate alignment and a shared vision by communicating our goals, providing clarity around the role responsibilities of each piece of the cross-functional team, the impact of each piece one another, and how they all come together to achieve our desired outcome. We provide the clarity by communicating the “Why” and “How” about the “What” to the “Who”.

Leadership should set the North Star vision of where the business needs to be in 3-5 years time, and then they should empower their teams to work towards those shared Objective Goals. By shifting the mindset to Objectives and Goals, rather than Tasks and Output, it enables teams to focus on discovering solutions which actually add value to customers rather than just delivering output for internal metric tracking purposes.

By creating a shared vision and culture within cross-functional teams, you not only enhance communication and coordination but also stimulate innovation. A unified purpose inspires creative problem-solving, as team members are more likely to contribute diverse perspectives when they share a common goal. Moreover, a strong team culture fosters a positive working environment, encouraging individuals to express ideas freely and collaborate seamlessly. This inclusive atmosphere not only boosts morale but also attracts and retains top talent, strengthening the team's overall capabilities and adaptability. Ultimately, a shared vision and culture serve as the cornerstone for sustained success in dynamic and collaborative work environments.

When providing feedback and coaching, to get the best from your people, you’d ideally focus on facilitating insights, rather than simply telling. When you tell, others don't get that hit of dopamine, only you do. And it can push them towards a threat state, vs. reward state. So, rather than simply noting feedback as a “gift” (and telling), why not try creating insights and learning through open questions and two-way conversation? If people and teams have their own insights through great coaching and leadership facilitation, and then co-design a way forward - they're more likely to own this. It's more rewarding for all. And it is far more of a sustainable approach that leads to motivation, trust, performance and wellbeing.

In addition to providing feedback and coaching, it's beneficial to integrate a data-driven approach. Utilize performance metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to objectively measure progress. This not only enhances transparency but also allows teams to identify areas for improvement more precisely. Moreover, incorporating regular check-ins and one-on-one sessions provides opportunities for personalized coaching, addressing individual needs and fostering a stronger sense of mentorship within the team. The combination of constructive feedback, data insights, and personalized coaching creates a robust framework for continuous improvement and professional development, ultimately contributing to the team's overall success.

Change should be embraced, but there should be an acknowledgement that not everyone has the same knowledge or understanding. Therefore, implementing a mentorship culture and an apprenticeship culture, in addition to formal and ad hoc training, will enable the broadest of teams to benefit from the shared knowledge of their peers and the wider industry.

Continuous feedback and coaching are essential for keeping cross-functional teams aligned. At Microsoft, under Satya Nadella’s leadership, there’s a focus on a growth mindset, which includes regular feedback and learning opportunities. This approach encourages teams to learn from each other and stay aligned with the overall objectives.

Multilateral feedback, mentorship, and coaching oil the cross-functional team performance. This should be timely. The feedback format should be defined and understood by the team prior to the commencement of the project and practice throughout the life of the project. This sustain timely goal achivement, provide quality outcome and efficient use of scarce resources. No man is an island to himself, no silos.

We are working with an amazing client at the moment who leverages the whiteboarding power of Miro! We all collaborate, co-create and work-out-aloud which allows anyone to follow the logic as the project develops in real time and catch up if they are new to the team. All in one place in the Miroverse!

Silo'ed knowledge should be avoided. Distributing knowledge across the company is critical to break down silos, avoid duplication of efforts, and to ensure the entire organisation is moving towards the same shared Objective Goals. Technology tools enable this via providing central repositories of knowledge, central roadmap visibility, and easy communication channels globally. Metrics and dashboards on success should become commonplace to proactively identify possible issues and to ensure actual customer/stakeholder satisfaction is achieved.

Budgets don't always allow for a diverse set of collaborative tools, but most office environments have at least one of the following: Microsoft Office Suite with Teams, Google Workspace with Docs and Meet, and/or Zoom. While Teams may be finicky at times, I propose it is the best all-around collaborative platform as it combines video conferencing, calendar, shared storage, and integrates into Outlook. Even when companies invest in collaborative solutions, tools are not always embraced and adopted well. It's important leaders understand how to leverage tools, lead by example, create space for training, and establish expectations for teams to follow suit. Intentionality is key.

Utilising the right technology and tools can greatly enhance visibility and coordination across teams. Companies like Slack use their own collaborative platforms to facilitate seamless communication and sharing of progress among different teams. Such tools help keep everyone updated and connected in real-time.

Having the right tech tools is game-changing. Personally, I love leveraging Slack for communication and find Trello an invaluable asset for organization and updates.

Regularly review the effectiveness of your cross-functional collaboration and make improvements. Amazon practices this through frequent operational reviews and 'working backwards' from customer needs, continuously refining how teams work together. This process of constant evaluation and adaptation ensures that teams remain synchronised and effective.

Introduce cross-functional retrospectives as a way of working. E.g., when work on a cross-functional project or workshop has been completed, the teams would come together to discuss what worked well (use again), what was missing (consider for next time), what didn't go so well (approach differently). The key here is to get the teams to co-design actions that they will take forward from the learnings and follow through to implementation (ideas are great, but they dissipate). It’s important as a leader to ensure you’re setting the expectation for, and modelling a psychologically safe space in which to hold these retrospectives. Set the social contract to ensure that the content and outcomes are focused on the work, and not individuals.

Ich habe gute Erfahrung damit gemacht hier Skalenfragen zu nutzen, um regelm??ig und zeitnah die eingeführten Dinge zu überprüfen. Nach der Einführung eines Daily Stand-Ups zum Beispiel, in dem gefragt wird, wie zufrieden die Teilnehmenden damit sind auf einer Skala von -10 bis +10 in Bezug auf die investierte Zeit zum erlangten Nutzen. Sollte dabei beispielsweise heraus kommen, dass wir bei 1 stehen, l?sst sich danach darüber sprechen, was passieren muss, um von 1 nach 2 zu gelangen.

Keeping promises, resilience, attitude and zero procrastination, healthy habits at work, work empathy, are the main topics that I suggest to be on d?the day by day

Consider rolling out OKRs to your organization. They can easily be structured cross-functional and span beyond teams to ensure, everyone is working towards the same goals. Given they are outcome-based, it ensures the teams work towards results.

Shared Digital Platforms for Project Management - Utilizing shared digital platforms or project management tools where all teams can update and monitor progress. This transparency ensures everyone is on the same page and can easily access the information they need about other teams' progress. Establish Clear Communication Channels - Setting up clear and effective communication channels is essential. I encourage open communication and the use of collaborative tools, ensuring that updates, changes, or challenges are promptly and efficiently communicated across all teams.

1. Build and share a holistic workplan with updated progress. 2. Set-up a cadence meeting for cross-functional team members to share/show up their work 3. Encourage members to define their out put will be input /related to whom and they need input from whom to make thing done.

Create a culture of genuinely celebrating milestones and outstanding feats. This becomes an avenue to foster stronger community spirit and will also serve as a strategy to inspire, motivate and challenge new team members and those working towards bigger breaks.