Have you ever worked on a group project in school? It can be tough when everyone has different ideas and ways of working. The same thing can happen in a big company where people invest in cross functional collaboration to get work done fast and more effectively. However, there are certain challenges that every team member faces. This could be related to multiple factors, which we will discuss later in the blog post.
One way to make it easier for diverse teams to collaborate is to use uKnowva HRMS. It helps people share information and work together more easily. They can have meetings, share documents, and manage tasks all in one place.
But sometimes, just having the tool isn't enough. There can be problems that make it hard for teams to work together.
One barrier is when people don't understand each other's jobs or goals. For example, someone from the marketing team might not know what the finance team does. The solution is to make sure everyone has clear communication and understands each other's roles.
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Another barrier in cross functional collaboration is when people don't trust each other or don't feel comfortable sharing ideas. This can happen if there is a lot of competition or if someone is worried about being judged. The solution is to create a positive work culture where people feel safe to share their thoughts and opinions.
Finally, there can be a barrier when people don't have the right skills or knowledge to use the uKnowva HRMS tool. The solution is to provide training and support to help everyone learn how to use it.
By working together and using uKnowva HRMS, teams can overcome these barriers and collaborate more effectively. To know more, let’s dive deep into this topic below. You will understand common cross functional communication and collaboration barriers easily with strategic solutions.
Top 13 Cross Functional Collaboration Challenges With Solutions
Communication breakdown
Team members may speak different "languages" or have different ways of explaining things, leading to misunderstandings.
Solution
Encourage clear and concise communication by establishing guidelines for meetings, using visual aids (such as diagrams or flowcharts) to explain ideas, and providing a forum for questions and feedback.
Lack of shared goals
Teams may have different priorities or objectives, which can lead to conflicts or a lack of motivation.
Solution
Define and communicate clear, shared goals that everyone can work towards. This will help to align efforts and focus on what is most important.
Resistance to change
Team members may be hesitant to adopt new tools or ways of working.
Solution
Address concerns and skepticism head-on by providing education and training on the benefits of the new tools or processes. Highlight the potential for increased efficiency, improved quality, and greater collaboration.
Lack of engagement
Teams may lack motivation or engagement, leading to subpar work or missed deadlines.
Solution
Foster engagement and motivation by celebrating successes, recognising contributions, and providing opportunities for professional growth and development. Use HR management software helps teams improve their engagement on the move. Teams are able to use the tool on their smart devices.
Lack of accountability
It may be difficult to assign responsibility or hold team members accountable for their contributions.
Solution
Establish clear roles and responsibilities for each team member, and provide regular feedback and evaluation to ensure everyone is meeting expectations. It is an easily doable task on a smarter HRMS software.
So, celebrate successes and recognise contributions to encourage continued cross functional collaboration and commitment. Using uKnowva is helpful here. It is collaborative software for all teams to connect, communicate, and coordinate with a shared purpose.
Different work styles
Team members may have different ways of working, leading to confusion or frustration.
Solution
Encourage open communication using the social intranet and flexibility by respecting individual work styles and finding ways to collaborate that work for everyone. This may involve compromise or finding creative solutions to bridge the gap.
Lack of trust
Team members may not trust each other's abilities or intentions, leading to tension or conflict.
Solution
Build trust by establishing clear expectations and guidelines for communication and collaboration. Encourage open communication and feedback to foster a culture of trust and transparency. uKnowva lets you and your team members build this culture fast using the unified HRMS. It is easy to upload and share company and communication policies there. In fact, HRs can put up notice boards and announcements there for every team member to see whenever they log into the portal.
Limited resources
Teams may not have access to the resources or tools they need to collaborate effectively.
Solution
Provide the necessary resources and tools, such as HRMS software India to ensure that teams have what they need to work together. This may require investment in technology or infrastructure. uKnowva is an easy-to-use workflow management tool, the smartest one in the making across the planet. Team members don’t need extensive training to use this tool. Within minutes they can be ready to connect and coordinate with other departments like a pro.
Limited time
Teams may be under pressure to deliver results quickly, leading to rushed decisions or incomplete work.
Solution:
Prioritise collaboration and communication as part of the project timeline, and allocate sufficient time for teams to work together effectively. Encourage open communication and feedback to ensure that work is completed to a high standard.
Lack of leadership
Teams may lack clear direction or leadership, leading to confusion or conflict.
Solution
Provide strong leadership and guidance to ensure that teams have a clear vision and direction. Encourage open communication and feedback to ensure that everyone is working towards the same or common goals.
Lack of diversity
Teams may lack diversity in terms of skills, experience, or background, leading to a narrow perspective or lack of creativity.
Solution
Encourage diversity and inclusivity by bringing together members with different skills, experiences, and backgrounds. This will help to promote a more creative and innovative approach to problem-solving.
Information overload
Teams may be overwhelmed by too much information, leading to confusion or disorganisation.
Solution
Establish clear guidelines for information sharing and collaboration, such as using a centralised platform for project management or establishing protocols for communication. Encourage teams to prioritise information that is most relevant and important to their work.
Use uKnowva for sharing and prioritising tasks and information on the go. It will help teams to know which project to complete first. They also know which project will hold more weight as per their KPIs. So they can make strategic decisions about their timelines whenever they clock in.
Lack of follow-up
Teams may fail to follow up on action items or decisions, leading to missed opportunities or incomplete work.
Solution
Establish clear protocols for follow-up and accountability, such as assigning tasks or setting deadlines. Use uKnowva to automate the follow-up emails by setting up triggering actions and workflows. It is to ensure that everyone gets enough time and effort to work towards the same goals. There will be no excuse for no follow-ups or coordination. The system digitises and streamlines it whenever possible to reduce the workload and break the initial ice between new team members from different departments.
The Bottom Line
Cross functional collaboration challenges grow complex every day when teams connect and have different opinions. There needs to be a sense of belonging, appreciation, respect, and value between all members, even if they are working in different departments. What matters for cross functional teams to connect more effectively is that they are on the same page. Everyone must get the same level of appreciation and performance evaluation. Using uKnowva HRMS here makes the difference. We discussed 13 common challenges in team coordination and communication when they are from different departments.
uKnowva helps solve them all in a few clicks, even when the staff is working remotely or is on the move. It makes the information sharing, storing, reviewing, and accessing steps easier, transparent, and effective. Everyone from the different teams knows about their project partners' availability, skills, past projects, hobbies, etc. They can also leave reviews for one another after completing the project. So, there is a lot more that an employee gets done when they do uKnowva.
See Also
- A Beginner's Guide To Social Intranet: Challenges And Solutions
- 7 Ways To Improve Employee Experience
- Best Practices for Digital HR Transformation
- Employee Experience Guide For Best Practices
- Performance Management Best Practices: Hurdles And Solutions
