The Roadmap – Stage 4 Building the Cross - Functional Team Part 2

Welcome to the TLS Continuum Change Maestro’s Roadmap newsletter. A new edition will be released every Tuesday on LinkedIn. It is by nature an interactive newsletter. What do I mean? My initial intention was the development of a dialogue pertaining to the concept of a change roadmap. I was looking for interaction between those of us here as to what each phase so far meant to you. It appears as though you would prefer to be passive readers, so be it. However, let me reiterate that as we progress through the roadmap if you have something you want to contribute, feel free to comment on any issue that perks your thoughts.

In the last edition we discussed how to set up a true cross-functional team. In this segment we need to take the next step. With a team in place, we need to go back to the first edition of the roadmap and re-ask some questions. Your cross-functional teams are not a vacuum nor an island. They are created for a reason. To determine what that reason is we need to develop the cross-functional team’s value proposition. So as a team ask yourself these questions:

Question 1: What is our mission?

Look back to the first edition of this newsletter. Remember the questions I posed to you to answer. The first question that needs to be opened to dialogue is why the team exists. That is your mission. Just as organizations are established for a reason, so are cross-functional teams. It is critical that every team member understands why the team is there. The organization is confronted with a problem that needs to be resolved. You have put in place the subject matter experts in place to provide the guidance needed to find the right solution.

 Question 2: What are our values?

With the team mission clearly understood, the next step is to gain a clear picture of what is important to the team. Have you established your end goal? You know why you exist but what are the key performance metrics which will demonstrate that you have achieved that goal?

 Question 3: What is our vision?

Here is the crucial point. We can turn to tools such as design thinking and determine first what is. Why do we have a problem. Then we can turn to the question of what if and determine what the process will look like following the resolution of the problem. You want to be able to determine what the process looks like and what it is going to look like after the team has completed its mandate for problem resolution.

 Question 4: What is our strategy?

Let your mind run free. Consider the full nature of the problem and then look at your vision. Determine how you are going to get there. What are you going to do to achieve the end result. Peter Senge suggests to us that there are some basic conditions that need to e met to achieve this.

First, he tells us that we need to put our assumptions on hold. It does the team no benefit for the team members looking like they are in the Roman empire arena. Team members are not your enemies.

Second, the flip side of the coin is that the most cohesive cross-functional team is one that looks at each other as colleagues.

Third, the team functions under a spirit of inquiry.  Be willing to have a dialogue about all the ramifications around the issue. Be willing to have an open mind as to potential solutions. Be willing to consider any and all suggestions. There should be no such thing as a stupid answer.

 The purpose is for the organization and the cross-functional team to construct a valued opinion as to what the problem is; what the customer needs and the best direction forward that takes into consideration everyone who is party to the situation.

 Roadmap stages

Stage 1: The Value Proposition

Stage 2: Gaining Knowledge

Stage 3: Building the Cross-Functional Team

Stage 4: Developing the resource list

Stage 5: Problem Identification

Stage 6: Removing the constraints

So put on your traveling clothes and next week we will continue the journey. I still welcome your comments and involvement, but I will not slow down the process if there are none.

About the author: Daniel Bloom knows HR and Change Management. He’s a speaker on transformational HR, a strategic HR consultant and trainer. Looking to ways to enhance your vale to your organization? We now offer virtual fully accredited six-sigma yellow belt certification training. Learn more at https://tls-continuum-learning-center.thinkific.com/courses/the-road-to-operational-excellence-the-hcm-edition