Cross-Functional Teams

In a cross-functional team, employees from different work areas come together to accomplish a task. Cross-functional teams are an effective means of allowing people from diverse areas within or even between organizations to exchange information, develop new ideas, solve problems, and coordinate complex projects. Due to the high need for coordination, cross-functional teams are not simple to manage. Power shifts occur when expertise is needed because the members are at roughly the same level in the organization.

It takes time to build trust and teamwork, especially among people with different experiences and perspectives. The strength of traditional cross-functional teams is the collaborative effort of individuals with diverse skills from a variety of disciplines. When the unique perspectives of these members are considered, these teams can be very effective.