How to Make Cross Functional Teams Work

A cross functional team is groups of people with different skill sets working together to achieve common goals. It sounds simple, but it’s often not. Despite this, the term ‘cross functional team’ or “cross functional squad” has gained popularity over the past decade or so.

The problems cross functional teams solve

The cost of translation

Cross functional should mean faster development since you’re not sitting around waiting for a member of one team to clarify something before you can speak to the other
Lack of perspectives
Diverse groups of people with different skill sets will ultimately solve problems and generate better solutions
Discipline-based dysfunction

Cross functional discovery workshops

When deciding what to build next, or how to approach a solution to a customer problem, working cross-functionally can be beneficial

The so-called ‘3 amigos’ session includes engineering, design, and product hashing out potential solutions to problems together

Engineering backlog grooming

An engineering-only backlog grooming session can help prepare engineers for the upcoming work

Cross-functional pollination

Ad hoc sessions with other cross functional teams can also be helpful

Focus on tech leads from each of the teams, along with product managers and UX
The purpose of these sessions isn’t to harmonize all processes, but to share ideas on what’s working and what’s coming up

What if different parts of the team are working on different things

Weekly cross functional goals don’t necessarily all need to be relating to the same feature or priority

Ensure all goals are relevant
Setting goals is one thing, achieving them is another
In order to achieve the goals you set at the start of each period, the systems and operating rhythms you put in place are just as important

Bringing it all together

Cross functional teams are a modern take on what has always been at the heart of successful, productive companies

Cross functional standups

In a cross functional set up, daily stand ups will include everyone from across the spectrum.

With your weekly goals set, you can refer to them in standup alongside the relevant development boards if not every day then on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Ad-hoc, discipline-specific sessions

Space still needs to exist for deep-dives into specific disciplines.

Common issues with cross functional squads
Designers get bored
Engineers don’t want to be involved in too many irrelevant discussions
Standups can go off-piste and in random directions

How to set yourself up for cross functional success

A cross functional team in a product context will typically comprise:

Engineers
Product manager
Designer
Content writer
QA
Not every company is the same, and not all companies adopt the cross functional model
However, those that do will usually have some variation of these roles.

Weekly goal setting

The cross functional team exists primarily to execute on strategy.

Since the skill sets of team members are so vastly different, it helps to set weekly goals which align with the wider goals of the business.
Vertical and horizontal alignment is a critical part of successful cross functional working
Goals should be outcome-based
During your weekly planning sessions, set cross functional goals that align neatly to your overall roadmap
Find the right balance between what’s achievable and what’s not