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Cross-Functional Teams CBMI, July 31, 2014

Working in a Matrix
Times have changed…

From this… To this…

traditional hierarchy matrix organization

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Agenda
A look at our session together…

start coffee break coffee break end

15 min 15 min

intro partnerships roles goals decisions meetings communication

Working in Teams
Benefits
•  Accomplish projects an Individual could not
•  Brainstorm more solution/options
•  Find errors and solve problems that might be missed
•  Build community and positive work environment
•  Exposure to different points of view drives creativity and innovation
•  Create synergy

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Working in Teams
Disadvantages
•  Time consuming to build consensus
•  Time consuming to communicate effectively with a larger group
•  More conflicts that must be managed
•  Potential for “group think”

Partnerships

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Partnerships
Analyze who you should consider partners…

Who do you work with hand-in-hand? Who should you

Hand-offs Who do you hand things off to?
partner with?
Who hands things off to you? •  Take the time to ask yourself
Power to veto your decisions? this question

Expertise to tap into?

•  Your list likely includes those
Who has… outside your immediate team
Opinion leadership that can sway others? or silo
Authority over resources needed? •  Your list of partners is dynamic,
not static
Demonstrate support (word or deed)? •  Constantly revisit the question
Who do you need to… Convince? of who you need to be
partnering with
Add something to their to-do list?

Partnerships
Recognize the types you have…

Tasks are…
Routine,
Varied
What types of
repeated
partnerships are they?
•  New or Dysfunctional Partner
Work is… Hand-offs Hand-in-hand
•  Transactional Partner
•  Collaborative Partner
Goals are… Separate Shared •  Integrated Partner

Separate, Overlapping,
Roles are…
distinct blended

Decision-making is… Exclusive Inclusive

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Partnerships
Be intentional about strengthening your partnerships…

Trust + Be Set or Reset Help-Me-Help-You Going Above +

Trustworthy Communication Rules Beyond
•  Don’t wait for them •  Acknowledge •  Don’t cry wolf, ever •  Advocate
•  Start small if •  Ask •  Know their business •  Include
necessary •  Plan •  Co-own any failures
•  Be reliable and •  Get into a rhythm •  Communicate
consistent •  Beware the “out of priorities
•  When you’re not, sight, out of mind”
acknowledge it trap

Roles

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Defining Roles
•  Do not rely on the formal structure or titles to determine functional roles
•  Use a process/model that is specific to your team – designed and agreed upon
at the “ground level”

RACI
Responsible

e
tabl

Informed
oun
Acc

Who owns the project/ To whom ‘R’ is responsible- Has information and/or a Must be notified of
problem who must capability needed to results, does not need to
complete the task be consulted

Defining Roles
Sample RACI

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Defining Roles
Creating A Successful RACI Chart
1.  Introduce/review RASCI definitions with your team.
2.  Identify and list all of the activities/tasks involved in the project down the
vertical axis of a chart or spreadsheet.
3.  Identify all of the people/roles involved in the project and list them across the
horizontal axis or spreadsheet.
4.  Identify the R, A, C, and I for each activity/task on your vertical axis.
5.  Review and discuss gaps or overlaps in your work.
6.  Share your RASCI chart with a broader group for feedback (if beneficial),
make final revisions
7.  Reevaluate and adjust

Defining Roles
Rules of engagement:
•  Use the structure as a flexible guide to build clarity and trust, not a weapon to
attack others with
•  Structure does not replace the need for clear communication and group
cohesion/trust
•  Document and plan for the “what if” scenarios
•  Always adjust and refine

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Coffee Break
15 minutes

Goals

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Goals
It’s not as easy as it used to be…

Authority Influence

Goals
Get your goals aligned

Adopt the right mindset Keep goals at the center

•  Recognize it’s bigger •  Make them visible
than you •  Use them to filter
•  Be realistic priorities
•  Be ready to make
The •  Use them as a
trade-offs framework for planning,
•  Assume nothing Right agendas, etc.

Include the right people Goals Limit the number of goals

•  Goals created in a
silo risk irrelevance
or impracticality to
others
•  Avoid the laundry list
•  Prioritize and eliminate if
necessary
•  A selective set of goals
fosters tight alignment
and focus across the
group

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“Conflict is the gadfly of thought. It stirs us to

Goals
observation and memory. It instigates to invention. It
shocks us out of sheeplike passivity and sets at
noting and contriving”
Seek the right misalignments… -John Dewey

Man-Made Misalignments Natural Misalignments

Cross-Functional
Meetings

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Planning and Preparing for Meetings

•  Determine if a meeting is necessary
•  Determine and prioritize meeting objective(s)
•  Conduct situational analysis
•  Determine meeting format
•  Develop meeting agenda
•  Identify and invite participants
•  Determine and prepare appropriate meeting logistics
•  Prepare to conduct the meeting effectively

Conduct the Meeting Effectively

•  Communicate effectively
•  Manage the climate and dynamics
•  Keep the meeting on track and on task
•  Manage difficult situations and participants
•  End Strong with clarity and commitments

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Decision Making/Problem Solving Meetings

Decision Making/Problem Solving Meetings

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Decision Making/Problem Solving Meetings

Sample agenda:

ü  Get agreement on issue or what needs to be decided

ü  Present and discuss relevant information
ü  Determine criteria for success
ü  Present and/or creatively identify options
ü  Pro/con the options (cases for and against)
ü  Open discussion including all persons, all opinions
ü  Select and rank order options
ü  Determine clear next steps for all parties
ü  Plan for follow-up and evaluation

Decision Making/Problem Solving Meetings

•  Develop a strategic plan for gathering and disseminating information

•  Adhere to a detailed agenda to ensure high-quality decisions.
Go slow to go fast!
•  Manage a balance between group cohesion and critical evaluation.
•  Determine multiple solutions: Pro and con each before deciding on
top choices

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Decision Making Biases

Which of these biases might effect you?
The Recency Effect: We tend to place more importance on information
or events that we experience most recently.
The Primacy Effect: We put more weight on events or information we
hear first.
Confirmation Bias: We search for or interpret information that confirms
our opinion.
Distinction Bias: We may view two opinions as more dissimilar when
evaluating them simultaneously than when evaluating them separately.
Bias Blind Spot: The tendency to see oneself as less biased than other
people J

Coffee Break
15 minutes

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Communication in
Cross-Functional
Teams

Communication Blueprint

Idea / Concept Idea / Concept

Encode Decode Individual

Message Mental Set
Individual Message
Mental Set

Receiver

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Effective Sender Checklist:

ü  Know your audience
ü  Know what you are trying to communicate
ü  Create organization and order in what you are communicating
ü  Eliminate “noise” whenever possible
ü  Invite two-way communication to ensure understanding
ü  Don’t assume anything and don’t pass off responsibility to the receiver

Effective Receive Checklist:

ü  Listen for purpose and intention
ü  Listen actively (review, evaluate, paraphrase)
ü  Eliminate noise whenever possible
ü  Build structure and organize your thoughts
ü  Don’t respond until you have ensured understanding
ü  Don’t judge until you have ensured understanding

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Blend Communication Modes

Relative Strengths of Communication Mediums
Medium Tone Two-Way Body Lang.
Face-to-Face • • •
Video Conferencing • • •
Phone • •
Voicemail •
IM •
Email

Key Takeaways
Jot down your takeaways from today’s session…

3 Things you learned…

2 Things you plan to implement…

1 Thing you’ll do tomorrow…

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