Many businesses, both big and small, are operating a “one-size-fits-all” business. This type of business is often inefficient because the functional requirements of one area of the business may not be applicable in other areas. A business may require certain skills in order to effectively carry out a particular task, while lacking other essential skills required to efficiently carry out other tasks. Often, this can make it difficult to build cross-functional teams. This article examines the types of skills needed for cross-functional teams.
The most common skill required is interpersonal communication. Communication is an important tool that allows people to take on tasks and collaborate with others. Team players will be able to contribute to the company’s success by communicating with others, rather than having to perform in a monotone or even worse, simply repeating the same actions over again. Communication also allows different teams to understand each other’s needs, which in turn creates open communication within the team. While interpersonal communication may be the most common skill, there are also some other skills that should be included:
The second skill required is teambuilding. In order to get the most out of a team, members need to learn how to work together to solve problems. While working alone doesn’t necessarily lead to success, teams have been found to perform much better when they are formed into smaller groups and assigned specific projects. A team builder will allow a group of people to work on a problem collaboratively, while building trust and a sense of community within the group. While every member may have different skills, working as a team is essential to company success.
The third skill required is flexibility. People will need to be flexible in order to overcome obstacles and find creative solutions. Just because a person is good at doing something, doesn’t mean they will always be good at doing that skill. For example, the accountant may excel at bookkeeping, but not have the capability to communicate his findings to other parts of the organization or vice versa. Team building allows people to learn how to work as a team by allowing them to try new skills and develop their own skills in different areas. This is also a great skill for those who have experienced job loss and want to return to work in a supportive environment.
The last skill is emotional intelligence. While it may seem unimportant in a day-to-day basis, teams make up a majority of the workforce and they need to be as emotionally intelligent as possible to do their jobs effectively. There may be disagreements between members, which may cause tense situations, which can lead to a loss of time and energy as well as an inability to complete projects on time. By training employees on how to work effectively as a team, a business owner is allowing its employees to be more productive and reduce waste.
These are just four of the eight sub-skills that are needed to manage a team that is cross-functional in nature. While this is an important concept to understand, it is not enough to gain success within your business. You must be able to manage your team effectively to ensure that all of its functions are aligned. This requires constant assessment and feedback from your staff so that you can continually adjust your approach to improving your business and its processes to allow your staff to continue to achieve the highest level of productivity.