Top Ways to Improve Cross Team Collaboration

Cross team collaboration is a strategy that's used by many reputable companies to boost the success of the business. By bringing different talents and expertise together, a company finds it easier to work towards achieving the desired goals. Uniting employees from various departments not only leads to deeper insights but also inspires fresher perspectives and better results on any project.

But achieving effective cross functional collaboration is never that easy. A company or organization has to put various resources and strategies in place to ensure success. The good news is there are plenty of simple ideas and tools that companies can use in implementing cross team collaboration. This article talks about the benefits and tips of adopting elaborate cross team collaboration.

Benefits of Cross Team Collaboration

1. Spurs Innovation Uniting people from different company departments brings different perspectives to the table, which spurs innovation. For instance, employees from the marketing department, sales department and operations department may have different views and ideas on a given project. When a project is looked at from a number of perspectives, it can be easier to assess possible challenges and deliver more innovative solutions.2. Allows Everyone in the Team to Learn More Adopting cross functional collaboration allows people with different skills and expertise to share ideas with one another. With that,each employee can learn something new, not just for the current project but also for future reference. For instance, a finance coordinator may learn the processes involved in procurement of materials in the production department or processing of orders in the sales department.3. Creates Perfect Momentum for Any Project Involving correlated functions of the company in a project from the beginning helps create trust, secures buy in and allows for empathy. That ensures everyone agrees with the plan of the project much faster and helps minimize on any possible delays.4. Challenges Old Ideas and Techniques of Carrying Out a Project Inviting different people to contribute in developing a project creates an environment where one can question the norm of doing things. With fresh and open minds on board it can be easier to identify potential errors and suggest alternative approach to the project.

5 Top Tips on How to Improve Cross Team Collaboration

Cross team collaboration plays a critical role in inspiring innovation and steering performance. Any business should always strive to build a solid cross functional team that will guarantee success on every single project.

The following are some of the key tips to improve cross team collaboration:

1. Set Clear Goals on the Project

Before you start pursuing any project, it's important to establish clear goals so as to know where you're headed. You need to work on developing viable project goals and team collaboration goals. With a clear vision of the expected results, it can be easier to collaborate with persons from different company teams and departments. It's particularly critical to set fewer collaboration goals because it will allow the team to manage engagements quite easily. With that in mind, success is almost guaranteed.

2. Ensure Diversity of Team Members

Inviting people from different company departments to engage in discussing a project is a great idea but the collaboration can be more effective if diversity in considered. Some of the aspects to consider when choosing team members include level of skills, experience, ability and seniority. You can also use other criteria like gender, age, tenure and location to select individuals. Such diversity will facilitate greater innovation, better discussions and improved productivity.

3. Connect with International Team Members through Video Conferencing

When discussing key aspects of a project, proper communication and trust are very critical. In order to create a solid team relationship, holding progressive meetings is necessary. Proper cross team collaboration should not only involve remote workers but should also engage international company workers and partners.

To facilitate that, the company may need to adopt a robust video conferencing system. With such online meeting software as ezTalks Meetings, you can enjoy live HD video streaming to discuss the project. The software can allow for sharing of files, use of whiteboards for annotation and recording and playback. With such features, collaborating with team members from anywhere in the world is made easier. ezTalks Meetings free software free version can host up to 100 attendees per meeting while the paid plan can accommodate up to 500 participants per meeting.

4. Ensure Communication Is Centralized

The success of any company project largely depends on the level of focus the collaborative team has. To ensure faster discussions and progress of the project, you must adopt the best project management tools and software. With proper project management apps, team members can ask questions, post messages and even share updates. And to ensure real-time project discussions, using video conferencing software like ezTalks Meetings can really be important. With the monthly subscription going for as low as $12.99 per month per user, you can take advantage of many video streaming and file sharing features to ensure success of the project. Employing these tools can allow for impromptu meetings, easier team management and quick progression. Even with the diversity of skills and experiences brought to the table for cross team collaboration, utilizing proper knowledge management tools can centralize and streamline information sharing. These tools ensure that every team member has access to the latest and most accurate data, which is crucial in maintaining efficient workflow and high productivity.

5. Recognize and Reward Key Project Milestones

Setting collaborative goals for a project is one thing and overcoming unprecedented challenges to reach for success is another thing altogether. For a team to have morale and momentum to overcome the hurdles, the company must recognize major breakthroughs and reward them accordingly. Team members can be treated for a lunch out, sporting event or a simple outing. In fact, this will refresh the team working on the project and help them develop stronger bond through socializing.

Conclusion

For any cross team collaboration to be successful, leaders must consider using the tips discussed above. Establishing clear goals from the beginning of the project sets the foundation for the pursuit of the project. Other tools and techniques should be integrated in between to overcome project hurdles. Use of technology is critical too. Such tools as video conferencing systems and project management apps can facilitate real-time presentations, comprehensive discussions and quicker resolution of problems. Cross team collaboration is simply the best foundation for any project. Involving people from different company departments in a project inspires new perspectives, increases momentum of change and leads to improved performance. It's simply a strategy that any company should consider adopting.