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• Strategies for cross-functional team leaders

As matrix management becomes more established as a means of marshalling the diverse skills of many corporations, tensions can start to arise within cross-functional teams.

Here are some of the challenges facing cross-functional team leaders with some thoughts on how to overcome them.

Issues facing cross-functional team leaders

1. 
   Understanding and acceptance of team goals
   
   How much do team members need to understand team goals? How much do they need to accept or be committed to these goals? All equally? Some more than others?
   


2. 
   Less than 100% availability of team members
   
   Functional specialists may be attached to more than one team. How do you ensure they give sufficient time / commitment to yours?
   


3. 
   Team member participation
   
   How much participation is required of team members? Some more than others? Are some members more needed than others?
   


4. 
   Functional specialism vs. general participation
   
   How much do functional specialists need to be integrated into the team rather than provide expertise on the periphery?
   


5. 
   Decision-making
   
   How should decisions be made with a team that's not 100% dedicated to your team or product?
   


6. 
   Communication
   
   How can you communicate effectively with a team who doesn't spend all their time together or sit together?
   


7. 
   Team leadership
   
   What style of leadership suits a team whose expertise may be different and whose experience may be greater than yours?
   


8. 
   Team processes / ways of working
   
   How can you have a sound team process when some members work in different ways with other teams?
   


9. 
   Team members as commodities
   
   How can you balance your needs for team members to deliver the task vs. their needs for personal and professional development and their own motivations?
   


10. 
    Balancing all the needs
    
    How can you optimise performance by getting the balance between the needs / skills of all the individuals and the requirements of the team and the product?
    


11. 
    Motivating team members
    
    How can you motivate team members when you don't have access to all their time or control all the factors which might enhance their performance?
    


12. 
    Team member performance
    
    How can you best evaluate someone's performance when you don't manage their performance appraisal?
    

Potential strategies to deal with cross-functional team issues

1. 
   Introducing New Members
   
   Hold an initial face-to-face team meeting when new members join, focused on team processes and climate, to begin to establish effective working relationships.
   


2. 
   Regular Face-to-face Meetings
   
   Establish a schedule of face-to-face meetings to build and maintain effective working relationships and encourage cross-team communication.
   


3. 
   Contract with Functional Manager
   
   Set up an initial 3-way dialogue with team members and their functional manager to establish a 'contract' for the assignment, covering such things as:-
   
   
   
   • duration
   
   
   • availability
   
   
   • expertise required
   
   
   • level of participation
   
   
   • method of performance feedback
   
   
   • performance monitoring requirements
   
   
   • personal / professional development need
   
   
   
   


4. 
   Review Meeting with Functional Manager
   
   Meet up periodically with functional manager and team member to review progress and performance.
   


5. 
   Involvement in Team Purpose
   
   Involve all the team in any work to define / review the team's core purpose / mission / objectives to increase buy-in and commitment.
   


6. 
   Appropriate Decision-making
   
   Establish decision-making processes which involve appropriate members for different kinds of decisions, making best use of their expertise and providing opportunities for the widest contribution and involvement.
   


7. 
   Team Member Inter-dependency
   
   Establish inter-dependency amongst team members, encouraging collaboration and co-operation, working towards shared goals and joint commitment.
   


8. 
   Use Team Members' Expertise
   
   Make best use of available expertise and experience by encouraging dialogue and collaboration, building joint commitment and cross-fertilisation of ideas.
   


9. 
   Regular Updates
   
   Regularly update all the team with overall progress being made so they can see their own contribution and understand the team's movement towards team objectives.
   


10. 
    Peer Network
    
    Develop a peer network to share best practice and resolve any inter-team issues, e.g. assignment conflicts.
    


11. 
    Leadership Style
    
    Adopt a leadership style which suits your own preferences as well as the needs of the team.
    


12. 
    Team Member Development
    
    Find ways of developing team members through delegation, coaching, special assignments etc., to meet their personal and professional development needs and increase their motivation. Don't forget your own development too!
    

Steve Bridge
© sheppardmoscow 2005

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