Cross-functional communication in organizations: Study the challenges and

opportunities of communication across different departments and functions in

an organization and develop strategies for improving cross-functional
communication.

I. Introduction
1. Cross-functional communications
“The communication between two or more operational teams in working towards a
common outcome is called cross-functional communication.”
A cross-functional team comprises people with different expertise working for one
purpose. It may include people from various departments, but members may also come
from outside the organization. They could be key customers, suppliers, etc.
2. Cross functional communications in organizations
2.1. Reality
Regardless of the size of the company, effective workplace communication is a crucial
element that can make or break the organization.
More than 1,400 corporate leaders, workers, and educators participated in a recent survey
where they were asked to identify the precise types of collaboration issues that are
plaguing their organizations. These were the main obstacles they identified:
86% said poor collaboration and ineffective communication are responsible for
workplace failures.
90% believed decision makers should seek other opinions before making a final decision.
97% said a lack of alignment within a team directly impacts the outcome of a project.
Sometimes, the biggest reason your employees don’t make the effort to collaborate is
because there’s a lack of incentive to do so. Employees who are actively encouraged to
collaborate with one another stick to a given task up to 64% longer than peers who work
alone. Team members who collaborate report higher engagement levels, less fatigue, and
higher success rates. Plus, 33% of people even say the ability to collaborate motivates
them to be more loyal employees.
2.2. The importance of Cross functional communications in organizations
As Steve Jobs once emphasized, “One person never does great things in business. A team
of people does them”.
A cross-functional team that frequently communicates has many other concrete
advantages: elevated team productivity, fast delivery of solutions, increased employee
engagement and team spirit, improved communication skills of the team members, better
management skills, and better problem-solving.
2.3. Example
A company that adopts cross-functional teams is Netflix. Netflix employs cross-
functional teams that are highly aligned but loosely coupled. The company established goals that
were clear, specific, and widely understood. Interactions between teams are centered on strategy
and objectives rather than tactics. Although transparency necessitates a significant investment in
management time, Netflix believes it is worthwhile.
II. Challenges and opportunities of cross-functional communications in an
organization
1. Challenges
 Lack of trust
To get teams collaborating effectively, you need to establish some trust, which
usually isn’t present at the get-go seeing as you may not work with this group of people
often, nor have a real understanding of their experience or quality of work.
 Coordination & Communication Breakdowns
Each member may have different expectations about communication protocols,
they may not be used to each other’s styles or personalities, and they won’t have their
coordination down if they’re new team members.
 Too Many Priorities
This is because each member of the cross-functional team has a different idea.
While there’s nothing wrong with setting up personal goals, sometimes individuals work
towards personal goals, losing sight of the bigger picture. There becomes little room for
improvements and initiatives that will benefit the company as a whole.
 Managing teams and their personalities
When there are more people to manage and communicate with means that there
may be more dominant personalities that are more difficult to manage, especially if a
specific leadership role isn’t identified. Different individuals compete to be seen as the
leader.
2. Opportunities
 Increase in innovation
Bringing people together from different parts can produce innovative solutions from
individuals who approach situations with different backgrounds in knowledge, expertise
and experience. Moreover, learning from members with different motives and strengths
broadens everyone’s perspective and boosts problem-solving skills.
 Develop individual skills and experiences
Bringing expertise together from different areas allows your team members to learn from
one another and helps individuals understand their specific tasks which brings the team
closer to achieving their common goal.

 Working in creative environment

Using the unique background of different individuals also means that the ideas being
brought forward are coming from different levels, rather than all of the ideas coming
from a single department. Individuals at any level can participate in discussions and
contribute to the expansion and execution of ideas.
 Conflict Resolution
Different backgrounds, motives, and work styles, conflicting opinions are bound to arise.
But conflict doesn’t have to be a “win or lose” situation – healthy opposition can lead to
new ideas that solve problems. Conflict can in fact be a benefit of cross-functional
collaboration- when opposing ideas are explored, a breakthrough of thinking can occur.
III. Strategies to improve cross functional communication.
1. For personal
 Unify the language with everyone:
Communication is not simply that we say what we want to say. The point is that each
person's way of speaking is different, so each individual needs to express their thoughts
and views in a specific and easy to understand way so that (=>) the information to the
person being communicated must be quick and clear. In addition, it is also necessary to
language unification the common language used rather than using regional or highly
academic languages.
 Always look on the positive side in the conflict
Conflict is inevitable especially when we work with people with different skills and
expertise. However, not all disagreements are negative. When these problems are
resolved intelligently and effectively, conflicts are a factor that helps the bond between
individuals and groups become stronger.
We sometimes argue because of misunderstandings because we haven't listened carefully.
If we learn to listen effectively, we can limit conflicts by better understanding the other's
thoughts, thereby having => a way to gently interweave personal opinions into the
conversation without causing difficulties to bear. This is also the key to limiting conflict.
When you are arguing, you should practice thinking positively about the nature of the
problem, paying attention to the topic that the group is discussing instead of paying
attention to the other party's attitude because they are also losing their temper like me.
 Define the task when collaborating
Every task doesn't have to start with collaborative work. Because it is time-consuming
and ineffective in the wrong cases if the task does not require collaboration. On the
contrary, when there is a task that really requires cooperation, it can benefit you even
more! Therefore, clearly define goals and strategies before putting all your efforts into
work
2. For organizations
 Develop organization goals
One of the most effective methods to create favorable conditions for cooperation and
communication between functions is to develop a common target set to keep the
organization focused. Without a common goal, members of the group often find
themselves working for many different purposes, with each person pursuing goals related
to their corresponding functions. The creation of shared goals also promotes community
awareness in a matrix group and may be the first step to building a solid reliable
foundation. Establish and achieve goals together to create more cohesive working
relationships and help solve more effective inter-function problems.
 Gather suitable groups
Although the needs of a specific project may have decided who is involved in a
functional group, in most cases, the organization will have to specify who is necessary
and who is not. A great multi-functional group does not necessarily mean gathering your
best people together. It is about combining the best skills needed to achieve the desired
results.
Although the cooperation between the functions promotes the development of employees,
it is important to think carefully about the combination of personalities that will best
coordinate with each other to facilitate development.
It can also be wise when combining multiple performance levels in a group to have
uniform allocation between groups and low -performance people who can learn.
Some people seem to "work poorly" and may simply have no chance to perform their best
skills. Placing them into the appropriate multi-functional group can bring out the best in
them.
 Choose the leader with communication skills
The core of any cross -function group is really strong communication, because their
success is based on consistent sharing of perspectives, deep understanding and problems.
Team leaders should be carefully selected and have special communication skills that
allow them to lead by example. These individuals must have achievements that have been
proven to communicate between their groups clearly, effectively and effectively.
The team leader must be able to identify areas that are confused or vague and encourage
people to communicate with patience and sympathy. They should actively work to dispel
all fears that their team members can ask basic questions related to unfamiliar concepts
and should record and share definitions of Language is often used. That way, they can
help ensure everyone participates, provided with full information and is ready to show the
best.
 Create effective communication process
Clear and timely communication is the key to inter -functional operating functions
effectively. Effective cooperation between inter -functional groups can be like a cat,
especially when the groups are used to working independently. Collaborative
communication requires changes in thinking - members of the group must be able to see
the opening of channels between groups will not only improve the results but also help
them do their work better. Concentrating the group's communications makes it easy to
focus on common goals and update progress.
Example: Office communication tools such as Slack and Google Chat as well as meeting
technology tools such as Zoom and Bluejeans can help establish open contact lines
between different groups in your organization. They can be especially useful when
members of the group are in different locations.
Project management tools such as Asana, Workfront or Trello can help groups agree on
work processes and priority levels. Cloud storage tools can make sharing and
collaboration become less cumbersome while maintaining the quality and control of the
version.
 Building a cohesive working environment
Creating a cohesive working environment for cross -functional communication is
essential when working to achieve the common goals of the organization. When building
cross -functional groups, encourage members of the group to adjust their ideas in general,
simpler, easy -to -understand terms for anyone in the organization. By developing a
multifunctional common language, you can promote cooperation, trust and creativity to
improve.
  Regularly reassess the project
Whether you are creating a multifunctional group to implement a specific project or to
work together on a long -term and continuous basis, it is important to always be flexible
and easy to adapt. Members of the group from each department will continue to build
based on their knowledge of other business functions, which will allow them to provide
feedback on their performance.
When companies and their cultures begin to change over time, it is essential to be able to
recognize changes in priorities when new targets are put into each part. The manager
should not be too focused on the first time. They should carefully evaluate the progress
and performance, and adjust the processes, expectations of the group and even the tools
they use to improve their results. For example, if the group is having difficulty in
responding to a deadline or providing high quality jobs, managers may need to recruit
more members or adjust future timelines.