4 Ways to Promote Cross-Departmental Collaboration

The cross-departmental collaboration reflects a positive internal culture. It happens when employees work together, communicate properly, and understand each other's roles.

4 Issues that hinder cross-departmental collaboration

Issue #1: Tunnel Vision

Employees frequently become frustrated when they become too constrained by their job descriptions and team functions. Unfortunately, this is often the source of breakdowns in communication and interpersonal conflict. 

For instance, an employee may make an unreasonable request from another team, assuming it was a simple request when it caused significant trouble.

The solution:

Cross-train. Allow employees to step into each other's shoes, job-shadow, or train each other regularly. The goal is not to make everyone interchangeable but to provide employees with a basic understanding of how every department functions, individually and as a whole. This is especially true for routine processes that involve multiple departments.

Issue # 2: Inefficient Meetings

According to one poll, 17% of employees would rather watch paint dry than attend a meeting. Face-to-face time, or at the very least being on the same conference line or web conference, is essential for healthy collaboration. 

On the other hand, meetings tend to clog calendars, disrupt the workday, veer off-topic or off-schedule, or otherwise fail to achieve their objectives.

The solution:

Be more mindful when it comes to organising meetings. Before you schedule one, consider how you can make the most of your time there. Meetings should have leaders, note-takers, and timekeepers. A well-prepared and distributed agenda can keep everyone on track. A plan should also be in place to ensure that the meeting's objectives and action steps are not forgotten. 

Be mindful of scheduling as well; ensure that employees have enough time between sessions to make meaningful progress.

Issue #3: Social Silos

Each department can become so isolated from the others that it operates in its silo, consciously or not. Its members only interact with one another and rarely cross into other territories. As a result, there are several micro-cultures that are not always compatible. 

Similar to how tunnel vision prevents employees from understanding each other's jobs, social silos prevent employees from understanding each other altogether.

The solution:

Let the staff celebrate together. Make it a point for employees to socialise during and after work hours. Consider holding a casual gathering on the last day of each month and rotating the task of "hosting" this gathering between the departments. You can use these occasions to highlight positive progress and achievements from various teams; however, unlike meetings, these gatherings do not require a strict plan.

One of the most effective ways to break down silos is to unite around a common goal. Another strategy for getting groups to mix and interact is introducing a plan or project that is not directly related to work functions. A charity drive, annual outings, Happy Hours, or contests, such as quizzes, are all examples. These activities can help your employees see each other as people, not just coworkers, and thus break the ice.

Issue #4: Top-Down Direction

Leadership and direction are not synonymous. Cross-departmental collaboration requires the participation of all parties involved, especially any group's designated leaders. Otherwise, the whole thing feels forced. After all, managers are just as prone to social silos and tunnel vision as their employees.

The other side of the coin is whether or not employees believe they have a say in how their departments are run and how departments interact with one another. There is little motivation to follow orders if they do not believe they have the chance to raise an issue, ask a question, or be proactive.

The solution:

This answer has two parts. First, department heads should serve as role models for cross-departmental collaboration by engaging with each other and their teams regularly and clearly. If they are aware that their department is becoming too isolated or reluctant to work with others, the leaders should be the first to begin bridging the gap rather than simply directing others to do so.

Second, you must have a mechanism in place to effectively collect employee feedback to ensure employees are not penalised for speaking up. A simple survey should suffice.

Your actions and priorities determine your culture. Cross-departmental collaboration is not something you can force on your employees. Instead, it must be intentionally nurtured at all levels of the organisation, even when other priorities appear to be more pressing.

Source: CSP