What Cross-Functional Teams Need to Succeed

Cross-functional teams have become ubiquitous because companies need to speed innovations to market, and they’re essential for connecting the right people across an organization. But too many teams fail to meet planned budgets, stay on schedule, or meet customer expectations – and this is largely because the organization lacks a systemic approach.

There’s no clear governance, accountability, or specificity when it comes to goals and how to measure success. To make these cross-functional efforts successful, executives need to assign an accountable leader to every project.

This person will make key decisions, keep the team aligned, and coordinate with senior management. Each project should also have clearly established goals, resources, and deadlines. There should be an approved budget and a charter defining priorities, desired outcomes, and timeframes.

And since different functions have their own priorities, leaders have to make the project’s success the number one objective for cross-functional teams by tying it to people’s performance reviews and compensation.

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