Finding Success through Cross-Functional Teamwork
Today’s organizations are finding that a functional structure does not facilitate the alignment of strategy and execution. The talent and capabilities needed to accomplish this (e.g., strategic alignment) are inherently cross-functional. Consequently, the most common organizational solution is the agile cross-functional team, which we are calling the “pop-up” team.
Whether you’re leading a project team or an entire business, this course aids you in mastering essential leadership skills necessary to take your cross-functional (pop-up) team to new heights. You will learn to work with your team to create a shared team purpose and vision, enhance levels of trust and communication, conduct focused and productive meetings, and improve team decision-making.
Course Purpose
The purpose of this course is to equip leaders of teams with the foundational knowledge and useful tools to effectively lead high performing cross-functional teams. Once you’ve completed the course, you will have the knowledge, skills, and tools to maximize team performance.
Our focus is on helping you and your cross-functional team collaborate to build the necessary practices and processes that will spark creativity and sustainable performance. Use the course as a resource and field guide to grow your skills as a team leader or coach, and to support others to be extraordinary in their work as team members.
Team Mastery is not a choice in today’s performance-driven marketplace! It is mission critical.
By enhancing your team leadership skills you also improve team performance and the organization’s overall performance. Effective team leadership significantly impacts team results, the quality of team member experiences, and the replicability of team successes across other teams.
Leading Your “Pop-Up” Team to New Heights assists team leaders, project managers, executives, entrepreneurs, and coaches in responding to the challenges every team experiences; challenges which can be heard in the following:
- “We have all these meetings but nothing ever seems to get done.”
- “We have teams but no teamwork.”
- “We don’t talk to each other; we talk at each other.”
- “We come to an agreement on how to proceed, and then we don’t follow through.”
- “We are way behind schedule, and people aren’t getting along.”
- “We can’t seem to make decisions without endless meetings and undue delay. “
Engaging Video Lectures, Interactive Exercises, Coaching Tips and Case Studies
In the course, you’ll acquire new methods, skills, and tools based on our experience and research. This makes the course ideal for new and experienced team leaders and managers who want to successfully transition into leadership positions, entrepreneurs who find themselves responsible for growing businesses, and senior executives who want to enhance their work with newly organized and existing teams in order to continue to deliver value to their organizations.
The course incorporates an inspired array of assessments, activities, and reflective questions to promote the attitudes and behaviors that are vital to effective teamwork.
- Assessments are provided to pinpoint the team’s strengths and opportunities for improvement.
- Activities let you apply and reinforce key learning derived from the lessons.
- Anecdotes are sprinkled throughout because we learn more easily from examples and stories.
- Case Stories in each section demonstrate how the skills can impact a team’s effectiveness and performance in a variety of real team situations.
- Reflection questions are meant to provoke deeper understanding, clarify issues, and integrate new ideas.
Here’s what you will learn:
In Sections 2 and 3: Set a strong foundation by aligning all stakeholders around a clear and shared team vision and purpose, and building strong team cohesion through increased levels of trust.
In Section 4: Increase your personal effectiveness as a collaborative communicator and leader of high impact teams. You’ll learn how to make your messaging effective through multiple channels and enhance your team’s collaborative communications.
In Section 5: Optimize the time people spend in meetings, reinforcing a positive team culture. Engaging everyone in a productive discussion is a huge challenge. You’ll learn how to keep your meetings focused and specific techniques to manage disruptive behaviors that tend to send your meetings off-track.
In Section 6: A 5-step decision-making model that inspires commitment and accountability. You’ll also learn four ways to reach an agreement as a team and explore the advantages and disadvantages of group decision-making.
Who is the Target Audience?
- Leaders of teams who want to enhance their effectiveness in working with other teams to achieve better business results and team satisfaction.
- New team leaders and project managers looking to grow their skills in leading cross-functional teams or any team.
- Entrepreneurs and business owners who are growing their business and want to learn to effectively lead their team.
- People who support, develop, and coach leaders and their teams. These roles may include executive and business coaches, HR, OD, and Learning and Development professionals.
Cynder Niemela, MA, MBA and Charlotte Guilmenot, MS are the instructors of Leading Your “Pop-Up” Team to New Heights: Finding Success through Cross-Functional Teamwork.