Cross-functional teams: Changing the way we work

Guest editorial
By Melissa Bergkamp
Governor at Large
Generation Next
Harper Industries Inc.

This article was published in the June 2019 edition of NTEA News.

Many professional development workshops are designed to enhance a leader’s skills and values — building trust, managing up, vulnerability, effective delegation, and many more. But I’ve found that although you will likely apply many of these takeaways in your day-to-day work, you will apply every ounce of knowledge received through training when working in cross-functional teams.

Leave it to the experts
Being in a marketing role, there are very few projects we take on that we complete fully using only efforts from within the marketing department. We continuously collaborate with other departments, relying on the experts in product management, engineering, and a multitude of others to assist in achieving the best results. If we’re all experts in our own field, then why would we try to achieve success alone?

In smaller organizations, employees often wear many hats with job duties extending far beyond the basis of their title. This situation is unique in that smaller businesses work in cross-functional teams unintentionally or organically due to the extensive list of responsibilities managed by one person. One could argue the importance of the need for cross-functional teams varies by company size, but I would beg to differ.

Tear down walls
Regardless of the number of employees, working outside your four walls will provide a new perspective on diversity in your workplace. It tears down walls, builds confidence in others and establishes trust at an overwhelmingly fast pace. One quickly realizes how their job responsibilities affect others around them, creating a more inclusive environment, improving efficiency and redefining employee engagement.

Foster a vibrant culture
While employee engagement is currently a hot topic in the workplace, it’s often confused with company morale. Though these terms are quite different, they do have a significant impact on one another.

Employee engagement is defined as the understanding of the relationship between an organization and its employees, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Employees who are engaged understand the importance of their role in the organization, knowing fully how their work impacts the company through quality, efficiency and attitude.

If your organization is not doing so already, consider working in cross-functional teams for your next job assignment. It will inherently alter the morale in your workplace — fostering a vibrant culture where relationships are strengthened and the desire to collaborate is contagious.

Generation Next gives new industry professionals support in developing skills and building peer relationships in the work truck industry. Involvement is free to employees of NTEA member companies with less than 10 years of industry service. Learn more at ntea.com/generationnext.