Cross-Departmental Collaboration Must Happen with Purpose

Successful collaboration within your company doesn’t happen naturally. It takes intentional effort to bring people together, along with the initiative to actually communicate with each other throughout the process. When it works well, cross-departmental collaboration can increase retention and generally make for a happier, more productive work environment. When it doesn’t work well, it creates project management headaches and could even lead to burnout.

Making Cross-Departmental Collaboration Actually Work

Now in my experience, successful cross-collaboration hinges on several key factors.  

There's more to communication than just talking

What really drives collaboration is having clear objectives. What are you trying to achieve? Why are you trying to achieve it? Is the partnership project-based or ongoing? Answering these questions will shape how you approach the work. Track your progress with productivity tools like project management software and use messaging platforms to ask questions and keep the conversation going. 

Regular interdepartmental meetings are crucial

Routine check-ins allow you to discuss ongoing projects, share updates, and address any concerns that may arise. Beyond that, joint problem-solving sessions, like cross-functional brainstorming, can be incredibly valuable. In a business world that’s constantly evolving, figure out how to best manage and leverage new capabilities. These meetings aren’t just about keeping everyone on the same page; they're about brainstorming new ways to benefit the business. 

But you can’t meet without direction. If you can’t answer why you are meeting, people feel like they’re wasting their time. That’s why I’m a big advocate for having defined protocols for how and when departments should communicate, and who should be contacted for specific issues. This gives the collaboration some much-needed structure. It’s important to have someone facilitate meetings effectively by setting an agenda and making sure that when the meeting ends, everyone knows what they need to do next. Follow-through is crucial. Otherwise, people get frustrated when meetings don’t lead to action. 

Build relationships with your coworkers

When I think about the differences between collaborating in a small company versus a larger organization, I’ve noticed that size plays a big role. In a smaller company, it's easier because relationships are already formed. You know everyone, and it’s simpler to involve the right people in the right conversations. In larger companies, collaboration can be just as successful, but it often needs more formal structures. People might not know each other as well, so you need a main point of contact – someone to take the lead, coordinate calendars, keep records, and make sure everything runs smoothly.  

Whether it’s through shared workshops or training sessions, relationship-building is crucial because once people are familiar with each other’s skills and roles, they’re more likely to work together effectively. Understanding what your coworkers do and the challenges they face makes a big difference in how you approach collaboration. 

Correcting the path when collaboration isn't working

There have been times when I’ve had to step into situations where teams weren’t working well together. Often, this happens when different departments have conflicting priorities. Sales might be pushing hard to close a deal, but the product team needs time to ensure everything is done right. The key is to bring everyone together and figure out what’s in the best interest of the organization. Sometimes that means compromising or hashing out a solution until everyone is on the same page. 

In customer-facing roles, there’s often a tension between what the customer wants and what’s feasible from an internal perspective. But this isn’t the only area where collaboration can break down. Even within internal projects, there can be misunderstandings about the workload or what’s required to get a task done. That’s why it’s so important to have open conversations about what’s involved and to set realistic expectations from the start. 

In today’s business environment, the need to iterate and adapt is constant. Status quo is not an option, and successful collaboration is more important than ever for the health and future of an organization. Collaboration isn't just a strategy – it’s a defining aspect of a company’s culture. Leadership plays a crucial role in driving this, so those at the top have to make sure that everyone understands the value and supports it with the right tools and infrastructure.  

When collaboration becomes part of the company’s culture, it’s easier to achieve your goals and continue growing as an organization. 

 

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