Planning for Success with a Cross-Functional Team

Some years ago two divisions of a large corporation had a history of animosity toward each other. This was a problem as one of them was the customer for 100 per cent of the output of the other. Meetings between the two organizations usually resulted in finger pointing and a shouting match with no progress on the problem that necessitated their meeting. Then one day, one individual suggested that they look at the data. They soon became engrossed in the data, solving the problem, and not trying to place the blame. They learned from the experience to focus on the data of the problem and not each other. From that time forward they worked together for the benefit of both divisions and their parent company.

To improve the chances for success of a cross-functional team, careful planning is key. Before the team is convened, management must define what they consider to be a successful outcome, in other words, a goal or vision for the team. Members of the team should be selected so as to bring different and needed strengths, such as finance, engineering, sales, service, production, procurement, etc. The phrase, necessary and sufficient, should be used. All critical areas need to be represented but the team should be kept as small as possible. Typically, the larger the team, the less efficient it is.

A team charter should be established to clearly define expectations, authority, roles, access to resources, and completion time. A leader should be selected who is persuasive and able to bring people together on an united effort.

The team should strive for true consensus and not meaningless compromise. Tools are available to aid in this effort. Where data is available, use tools such as Check Sheets, Pareto Analyses, Cause-and-Effect Diagrams, Histograms, Scatter Diagrams, Graphs, and Control Charts, These are defined by Hitoshi Kume, along with a proper system of applying them, in his book, Statistical Methods for Quality Improvement.

When data is not available, management tools are available such as Affinity Diagrams, Tree Diagrams, Scatter Plots, and Interrelationship Diagrams. These tools tend to extract input from all team members with equal treatment of all ideas.

At the successful conclusion of the team solution to the problem, a follow-up plan should be made to ensure the result is indeed implemented in a timely fashion. This is done with a simple listing of all recommendations with a person identified for completion of each action item, a completion date, and how the outcome will be measured.

In short, success of a cross-functional team is carefully planned and executed by a cohesive group of key individuals using their combined talents and energy focused on the ideal outcome.

The “It” Factor

Years ago when I was a young salesman, I studied the outstanding salesmen in my organization. Some had great product knowledge, some had great personalities, and others worked very hard, but the only common trait that I could find was tenacity. A very few had “it”; they just closed deals!

People who really excel at what they do are sometimes said to have “it”; some intangible trait that makes them stand out from others. Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Winston Churchill, Steven Jobs, W. Edwards Deming, and Billy Graham are twentieth-century leaders who attracted a large following, were greatly admired, and exerted widespread influence.

There is an old adage in business that an entrepreneur can only take his company to a certain level and then must give way to a “professional” manager to take it to the next level.  Steven Jobs started an upstart computer company by doing things different. When Apple reached a plateau, the Apple Board of Directors jettisoned him and brought in a proven corporate leader. The company foundered until they brought Jobs back and again the company took off. Steve Jobs had “it” in the business world.

Sportswriters talk of quarterbacks having talent and/or “it”. They may have great talent and be good quarterbacks, but if they do not have “it”, they won’t be great. Of the two traits, the most important seems to be “it”. They may have average talent but seem to get the most out of themselves and their team and win. It is that intangible something that elevates them above the crowd. A few entertainers, a few politicians, and a few business leaders have “it” as well.  What can we learn from them to help us in our careers?

I must confess that I am not a psychologist and am on shaky ground with this subject, but I believe it is worth discussing. I have three questions-what is “it”, how can one acquire “it”, and how does one sustain “it”.

In an attempt to describe “it”, I made the following table:

“It” is	“It” isn’t
Ability to bring out best in others	Oblivious of others
Supremely self-confident	Arrogant
Intense focus on the task at hand	Vacillating from one task to another
Continually learning	Knows enough
Strong belief in their purpose	Lip service to purpose or aim
Creative with ideas and goals	Reactive
They imitate no one	Copy others
Competitive with themselves	Satisfied with self
Driving always to be better & smarter	Good enough
Self-motivated, self-starters	Respond to outside influences
Charisma	Necessarily likeable
Perseverance, dogged tenacity	Give up when the outlook is bleak
Winner	Wins some of the time

You may want to develop your own list. It will be different because you have different observations and experiences.

The next question is how to acquire “it” or if it is even possible. Do you acquire “it” or are you born with “it”? You may not have been born with “it”, but you can certainly improve. You can’t just copy because all people have different talents and skills, but you can look at a list like above and decide what might benefit you. Think about it.

The next question is how to sustain “it”. Assuming it is not simply something that you are born with, it is possible to lose “it”? Therefore you have to constantly pay attention to your attitude, action, language (both oral and body), energy, and desire.

“It” is an intangible trait, but seemingly very important in order to rise to the highest level. This article does not, indeed cannot, supply the explanation and magic roadmap to attaining “it”, but it is interesting to think about and discuss with colleagues. Study of the characteristics of respected and admired leaders seems essential. The ability to seek and take advice, total focus and drive to succeed, learning from experience of success and failure, and active study of human nature and one’s vocation also seem essential.

Constant striving for improvement in our work and home life may be the secret  “it” for us to work toward.

Special thanks to Ed Poitras and John Persico for their contributions to this article.

Relating to Different Age Cycles

In the last column, Strauss and Howe’s theory of history repeating itself every fourth generation was discussed. Those generations, Hero, Silent, Prophet, and Nomad, have different values and driving forces. We like to say we treat all employees the same but in fact, we dare not. They are different people from different times.

Behavior of people within our organizations changes with the changing cycles, and with it, management style must change. Kurt Lewin identified three major leadership styles; authoritarian, participative, and delegative.

Authoritarian leaders provide clear expectations to group members on what should be done, when it should be completed, and how it should be accomplished. Frederick Winslow Taylor was the foremost expert on this leadership style. His time and motion studies were a small part of his teachings but became attached to his name. These authoritarian leaders make decisions without input from group members. It worked well with the Silent generation following WWII as exemplified by the book and movie, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit. Over use of an authoritarian style can be construed as bossy and controlling. Worst-case examples of this style can be seen when leaders utilize bullying techniques such as yelling, abusive power, or demeaning of group members.

Participative leaders accept input from one or more group members when making decisions and solving problems, but the leader retains the final say when choices are made. Group members tend to be encouraged and motivated by this style of leadership. It often leads to more effective and accurate decisions, since no leader can be an expert in all areas. Input from group members with specialized knowledge and expertise creates a more complete basis for decision- making. This leadership style resonates with the Artist and Prophet generations.

Delegative leaders allow group members to make decisions. This style is best used in situations where the leader needs to rely on qualified employees. The leader may not have the most expertise in all situations or be available when immediate decisions must be made. It is important to delegate certain tasks out to knowledgeable and trustworthy employees. These employees match the characteristics of the Hero generation.

The complexity of technology today almost demands use of the delegative style but occasions can require utilization of all three styles, depending on the situation, for example:

·      Use an authoritative style if a group member lacks knowledge about a certain procedure.

·      Use a participative style with group members who understand the objectives and their role in the task.

·      Use a delegative style if the group member knows more than the leader about the task.

Group leaders need to adapt and change based upon the objectives, needs of group members, and situational factors. Needs can be real or perceived and both need to be understood by the effective leader. The current generation of the majority of workers, Hero, Silent, Prophet, or Nomad, largely shapes perceived needs.

Just like we need to understand the needs and wants of our customers, we need to understand the needs and wants of our employees. Not all are the same and their age group largely impacts their behavioral traits.

Cycles of Behavior

Some books are entertaining and some are profound which cause us to think. A good example of the latter is The Fourth Turning by William Strauss and Neil Stowe published in 1997. The authors provide food for thought on how to position or change our business and how to relate to fellow workers.

They predicted in 1997, four years before the 9/11/01 attack, that in about ten years a grave moment of opportunity and danger. Their predictions included:

·      Economic distress, with public debt in default, entitlement trust funds in bankruptcy, mounting poverty and unemployment, trade wars, collapsing financial markets, and hyperinflation (or deflation).

·      Social distress, with violence fueled by class, race, nativism, or religion and abetted by armed gangs, underground militias, and mercenaries hired by walled communities.

·      Cultural distress, with the media plunging into a dizzying decay, and a decency backlash in favor of state censorship.

·      Technological distress, with crypto-anarchy, high-tech oligarchy, and biogenetic chaos.

·      Ecological distress, with atmospheric damage, energy or water shortages, and new diseases.

·      Political distress, with institutional collapse, open tax revolts, one-party hegemony, major constitutional change, secessionism, authoritarianism, and altered national borders.

·      Military distress, with war against terrorists or foreign regimes equipped with weapons of mass destruction.

The authors made these predictions by studying history and determined that history repeats itself every fourth generation. They described these generations as:

1.     High, an upbeat era of strengthening organizations and weakening individualism when old values decay. Current example is the Baby Boomer or Prophet generation, those born between 1946 and 1964.

2.     Awakening, a passionate era when the civic order comes under attack from a new values regime. This is the era of the Gen X or Nomad generation, born between 1965 and 1980.

3.     Unraveling, a downcast era of strengthening individualism and weakening institutions with the decay of civic order and emergence of new values. This would be the era of the Millennial, Generation Next, or Hero generation, born between 1981 and roughly 2000.

4.     Crisis, a decisive of era of upheaval when the new values regime propels the replacement of the old civic order with a new one. This is the era of the Artist or Silent generation, born after 2000.

We can relate to earlier cycles of the Hero generation of WWI followed by the High of the early 20s, the Awakening of he depression, the Unraveling of international accord, and the WWII spawning another Hero generation. The Heros of that generation were born somewhere between 1900 and 1928, followed by a Silent generation born between 1929 and 1945.

From these reoccurring cycles, the authors of The Fourth Turning based their predictions detailed earlier. An understanding of these cycles can provide guidance of action on a global, national, and local level.

As stated earlier, armed with this knowledge, we can make better business decisions and learn how to deal with employees of different age groups. I am a member of the Silent generation and was brought up to do as I was told. I did because I had great respect for the Hero generations of WWI and WWII. We cannot expect this of the other generations and need to understand the differences and how to relate with them.

Workplace Behavior

Have you ever had sleepless nights stewing over “office politics”? I have, plenty of times, while working for large organizations. An old saying notes that little people don’t become big by putting others down, but little people keep trying.  Work should be enjoyable and something employees look forward to each day. However, people don’t always behave the way we would like them to in daily activities, if cultural behavior is not addressed.

Good organizations develop a system to involve employees in creating a set of guidelines to remind each of them on what is expected in terms on the way they conduct themselves on a daily basis. They can be called Operating Principles, Behavioral Guidelines, Values, Code of Conduct, etc. Each organization should develop their own set with employee involvement so they have ownership. Following is a set of Operating Principles developed by a company in southern Minnesota, which I think is exceptionally good, to give you an idea of what they might look like.

Operating Principles

(Example)

·      Optimize the System

Work together for the success of the organization as a whole in a strong and unified system, recognizing that all activities are inter-related. Break down “silos” and work for the good of the entire organization.

·      Foster Learning

            Provide opportunities for all employees to develop to their full potential,             recognizing people’s inherent desire to do their best.

·      Optimize the Supply Chain

Establish long-term cooperative relationships with employees, customers, suppliers, and other key stakeholders aimed at delighting our customers and achieving our vision.

·      Improve/Innovate Processes

            Practice continuous improvement through on-going coaching, learning,             development, and innovation focused on delighting internal and external             customers.

·      Incorporate Quality

            Develop an understanding of the causes of variation from planned             performance and take appropriate action to eliminate waste, rework,             and redundancy from the operation to improve overall quality through a             disciplined process. Measure outcomes and celebrate the successes.

·      Encourage Communication

            Communicate openly and honestly the status and direction of the             organization to our employees and stakeholders. Practice effective and             timely communication strategies in support of answering to internal and             external customers needs through mutual respect and cooperation to be             embraced by employees.

·      Evolve Culture

            Create a working environment, which removes barriers to effective             performance and fosters mutual respect, trust, and engages the hearts             and minds of others.

·      Demonstrate Leadership

            Leaders at all levels will model the behavior desired in the organization.             They will:

o   Challenge existing processes and ways of doing things.

o   Inspire a shared vision to uplift, enable, and enroll others in achieving the company vision.

o   Enable and empower others to act to strengthen their abilities, will, and sense of personal worth.

o   Encourage the heart to celebrate team accomplishments regularly and recognize individual contributions to the success of projects.

This example is provided to stimulate thinking on a similar set of guidelines you might wish to develop with your employees for your organization. One should not copy someone else’s work but develop your own that fits the needs of your organization and its people.

Once developed, it should be discussed with all employees for modification and acceptance. Then copies made for each employee and postings in conspicuous places to remind everyone of their own actions and help them to help others.

A follow-up system should be created to track progress on each guideline and by different parts of the organization. Culture is like any other process, it needs to undergo continuous improvement because it will never be perfect, but it will become better and better.

This new and improved culture will lead to happiness and self-satisfaction in your work. Who doesn’t want that?