Ever wonder what your co-workers do all day?
When you’re entrenched in your own responsibilities, it’s easy to forget that other departments not only exist, but that you’re all serving one main goal: fulfilling the mission of your organization. And while having a well-oiled department that functions on its own is nothing to sneeze at—it shows that you’ve gotten into a good rhythm for your work—sometimes what is best for the organization (and for you personally!) is to find ways to work more closely with members of other departments.
With an already full to-do list, however, it might be hard to envision the benefits of creating and/or tackling cross-departmental projects. After all, we work in separate departments for a reason! But the benefits to your organization and to you are worth the effort. Here’s why working across departments is not only beneficial, but important.
The benefits of working across departments
Keeping connected even while working remote. Without the opportunity for chance meetings in the hallway, kitchen, or break room, and without in-person meetings to make more substantial contact, it’s far easier for individuals and teams to feel more disconnected in general. Creating opportunities for cross-departmental work can help maintain work relationships, especially for those of us who are working remotely and alone.
Employees gain a holistic view of the organization’s work. According to Chris Canialosi, a contributing writer at Forbes, having a working understanding of other departments will give you broader-picture insights. Learning what other departments do and working with them on collaborative projects are concrete ways to gain knowledge about the organization’s other moving parts, and how those parts can work together to better achieve the organization’s mission. When members of different teams communicate often, ask questions, and have a firm grasp of the nature of one another’s work, productivity—not to mention morale—is considerably boosted.
Working together better fulfills the needs of multiple departments. Collaborative work also allows team members to bring their individual work styles, skills, and perspectives to other projects, giving us the chance to tackle new challenges, as well as opening up possibilities for new solutions and better results. Imagine not knowing that the perfect approach, team member, or resource for a task your team is stuck on has been under your nose the entire time. Keeping each other abreast of your ongoing projects and challenges ensures that every problem finds its solution.
Communication offers opportunities to improve our own methodologies. When each department is transparent about how their work gets done, you have the opportunity to reassess the way you do your own work and highlight any blind spots you or another team might have. When working together, take note of what questions others ask about your department, what is confusing to them about the way you do your work, and consider how that might help you discover ways to improve your way of doing things.
Understanding one another’s work instills a spirit of camaraderie. When you begin to learn how each team’s work relates to your own, as well as how it serves the organization’s mission, you’ll develop a feeling of being truly connected with co-workers. You also can gain a greater sense of the challenges they might face in terms of deadlines and workload, and discover ways you can continue to support one another, coordinate your work with each other, and provide support that can continue to raise team morale.
Collaboration builds professional experience and a varied body of work. Whether you are seeking to transition in your career, be considered for a promotion, or just expand your skill set, working with other departments is a great way to develop strengths in an area unrelated to your specific job description. Diversifying your skills and experience is always a plus, both for your professional development and also if you’re considering moving up (or moving on).
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If you’re looking for other ways you can make an impact on your organization from within, learn How to Become a Change Agent.
By Victoria Crispo
By Chron Contributor Updated October 19, 2020
Although people in different departments work for the same company, many employees rarely cross paths with workers outside their own areas. If you’re trying to organize a project team requiring cross-departmental collaboration, it’s probably going to take a little effort to get people to work together as a team. At first, the relationship between departments in an organization may be shy and unfamiliar; they’re likely to cling to other members of their department. But with time and some great leadership skills, they’ll begin working together as one efficient unit.
Hold a mandatory project kick-off meeting for members of separate departments to start building relationships with other departments. A person will feel much more comfortable working with colleagues from other areas of the company if he can put a face with a name, says Workzone. Allow each employee the chance to stand up and introduce himself, explaining what he does for the company. If time permits, break employees off into small groups to discuss the project and brainstorm ideas.
It’s important to clearly define the role of each project member so everyone understands her responsibilities to the team. This can help you avoid conflict down the road, says Mind Tools. These duties may be different from those she’s tasked with as part of her regular job. For example, two departments might have their own dedicated marketing staffs. If two marketing professionals are on the project team, their duties will need to be defined so they can avoid stepping on each other’s toes.
An effective way to bring people together as a team is to create a set of shared goals for the project. This unites team members and makes them feel like they’re all working toward the same cause. It’s also a good idea to explain how the project will benefit the company as a whole so each person can envision the impact it will make on both his department and his job.
This is especially important for projects featuring workers from different departments, as it might not be as easy for team members to see how the finished product will benefit them. Feeling like he’s working toward a change for the better is a great way to motivate an employee to do his best work.
Different departments operate in very different ways. What may be acceptable in one area may be frowned upon in another. Set the ground rules early so everyone is on the same page. If you expect a team member to attend every meeting, let her know what the consequences are for missing one. Remind workers that to create a shared project vision, each person must operate according to the same guidelines for success.
Post written by
Jared Atchison
Jared Atchison is the co-founder of WPForms, a drag and drop form builder for WordPress that's being used on over 400,000 websites.
As a business owner, can you say that all your departments work well together to meet company goals?
To run a cohesive business, you need to ensure that different departments are in tune with one another and know how to work alongside one another. Just because people have various tasks and projects to complete doesn’t mean they can’t relate to colleagues from other divisions.
Collaboration among all your teams is essential to come together as one and bring about positive results. To generate leads, build relationships and increase revenue, your employees must work together to find solutions.
If you want to improve collaboration between the departments in your organization, here are a few tips to help you get started.
Set clear guidelines.
For different teams to come together and work on a project effectively, they need to understand what the guidelines are. It’s impossible for them to complete a project the way you want it if you don’t set clear expectations for everyone first.
Take the time to explain to everyone what their roles are, what they have to do and when they have to do it. If there are specific team members who need to work together, make this clear from the start. That way, people know who they need to communicate with.
You can also hold a meeting to gather everyone in one place and tell them the guidelines of the collaboration process. Share what you expect before, during and after the project so they can create a timeline that streamlines their processes.
Host team-building activities.
It may be challenging for people from different departments to get to know one another when they barely have the chance to. It’s often difficult to bring an entire team together because they’re working on different tasks or they’re used to working with certain people.
You can bring your team together by hosting team-building activities that encourage collaboration. It helps to incorporate fun into a normally awkward setting because it takes the pressure off of everyone to say and do the right thing.
If you work in an office, create a space for relaxation and fun where employees can go to take breaks. You can provide games, media and other resources for teammates to dive into and enjoy together. Host team-building activities that bring people from different departments together and encourage them to have fun.
Reward teamwork.
Your team will know they’re on the right track if you encourage their behaviors. When you see them working together effectively, make sure to openly acknowledge it so they feel a sense of satisfaction from their hard work.
It’s important to celebrate your employees’ successes as a team effort to cultivate respect and trust among them. When they reach a milestone or overcome a significant hurdle as a group, it increases their motivation as well as their productivity, leading to more wins for your business.
Use your words to thank your employees for their team effort. You can take it a step further by awarding bonuses, writing thank-you letters or hosting a happy hour.
Ask for feedback.
Perhaps you’re doing everything you can to bring your employees together, but to no avail. You aren’t seeing them work cohesively as a group the way you expected, so what can you do?
As a business owner, it’s your responsibility to make sure your team feels safe and comfortable around their colleagues. You need to be on top of the latest happenings in your company to ensure everyone is getting the respect they deserve.
Be open about asking for feedback and trying to figure out how your employees can work together effectively. Encourage your team to speak openly and honestly about their struggles in working with others so you can find a long-lasting solution.
You need to consistently communicate that you’re open to feedback and would love to hear what others have to say to improve your business operations.
Over to you.
Your business isn’t the first to struggle with departmental collaboration, and it won’t be the last. Just because your company is made up of different sects doesn’t mean it can’t come together as a cohesive unit and reach its goals. With open communication, a little fun and some feedback, your business will be on its way to further success. How will you improve collaboration between your company’s departments?
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