How can you convince executives of the benefits of cross-functional collaboration?

Three key things to keep in mind: 1. Start with the end business goal in mind: Is the solution solving for top-line growth, margin, or FCF? 2. Is it critical to solve now: Timing is important. If your organization is focused on market share growth, at any cost, then margin isn't a burning issue to solve. 3. Show why the problem requires cross-functional collaboration: Sometimes, PMs may focus on the solution space within their immediate span of control, e.g., improvement in UX or an architectural change. But the solution may require field sales adoption through better communication or a review of deal terms with a partner. A clear understanding of what is required, end to end, to solve gives the executive team confidence in the solution.

It's really important to establish as a leadership team, the strategy or direction of the organization. Once this is established, next are the most important goals. Many times I see executive teams misaligned on the strategy and the goals, and this creates a challenging environment. If the leaders can align on the goals, and structure the deliverables around the agreed upon goals, it helps to align throughout the business. It's hard when you bring a new leadership team together and they do not have the trust, or grace that trust brings. Focusing on the leadership team as a human team first, helps people build trust and work together for a common goal. When you have this, the business is stronger.

In my experience, most executives understand that delivering a great product requires collaboration among departments and associated disciplines. The challenge is constructing and presenting your product, service, or idea in a way that gains the support and financing needed to succeed. For an executive audience, it's all about ROI. Use data derived from market conditions, competitive landscape, or internal expertise to describe why your proposal will provide the ROI that demands attention from the required cross-functional teams. If the argument is convincing and their support is "won," your success in breaking through silos and raising priorities in you favor will be greatly enhanced.

Execs are the hardest nuts to crack. They have specific POVs as they need to run the organisations. Executives clearly understand 3 parameters and One KPI. a) Parameters: the classical iron triangle (scope, cost, time) b) KPI: Dollar Value. Either it should save money or earn money or help another 'feature' which will do the same. So, the problem needs to be identified and presented in the above-mentioned format -- for an easy consumption from the Executives. This will be a big step to gather support from the Execs for a common understanding of the problem.

I believe the starting question is wrong. You should not have to convince executives of the benefits of cross-functional collaboration. Experienced executives see the the value in cross-functional collaboration. Why? Because it reduces number of problems that they need to address personally and it delivers better team engagement. The first job of executives is to clarify the purpose. When team is aligned with the same "mission" the cross-functional collaboration comes naturally and benefits everyone.

#1 Technique for this : Uncover challenges Conduct Expert Interviews. • Select experts carefully • Ask pointed questions • Listen and document insights • Go out of the way to find solutions

Another important thing executives love are solutions. It is not just enough to identify problems but what are you proffering as solutions to those problems??. Highlight how cross-functional collaboration can lead to improved efficiency, innovation, and the overall output of the team. Also outline ideas and strategies on how to implement cross-functional collaboration within the organization

I believe in reverse engineering, as a sales expert, you need to define the desired outcome which is much needed. you may also list down good to have features as a cherry on cake. Once identified, take top down approach to understand various internal stakeholders and important how they are interlinked. With proper blueprint which includes testing, deliverables, R&R, timelines, agree on common ground. This support both internal and external stakeholders and has clear defined direction to follow.

I think showing benchmarking - how this solution worked elsewhere is important as well. Executives don't always have the time to truly critique an idea - showing them that you have done the effort of benchmarking, gives them the confidence on your idea.

If we only talk about the problems; it might be portrayed in a negative frame of reference. Hence, it is important to propose a few solutions in a recommended order. Primary Recommendation Secondary Tertiary so on... Also; the Risks & Assumptions should be noted for these solutions. Lastly; market the solutions internally to seek feedback, alignment and agreement from varied stakeholders.

Focus on these: 1. Clarity of scope: For every one to be clear on what the project will and will not solve for. 2. Prioritization: Every team member should be clear on the prioritization of deliverables. While preferable, it is not required that the entire team must agree with it. 3. Principles: Teams will often hit the proverbial "fork in the road" or a challenge as they work on the solution. Where possible, define the fundamental principles (e.g., two- vs. one-way door decisions) that can help the teams unblock and move forward. 4. DRIs for each step and the overall project: This is to ensure agility and accountability in getting the project completed successfully. 5. Define milestones and how they will evaluated (KPIs) for success

Once you have a clear idea of where you’re going - you can take a step back - and pick the smallest set of features that makes a lovable product. You have to be ruthless in this effort. If after finishing this exercise everyone in your team isn’t in tears and embarrassed of the result then you probably didn’t cut enough. The idea here is to set a deliberately ambitious deadline of something like 2 weeks to get to something that works end to end. Scoping as an ongoing process. It’s a process that sequences the work in a way that is optimized for discovery. To achieve that, you may recalibrate our roadmap week by week (ex: on Mondays), to always work to answer your biggest open questions.

Successful product managers strike a balance between independent work and product team collaboration. Product managers can prevent many product issues by joining forces with the product development team. The touchpoints that make a difference are: - Requirements review and response to feedback - Requirements intent documented - Alignment with program managers through every product phase Today a collaborative model in product teams allows the best outcome in terms of delivering a successful product.

The best way to involve multiple stakeholders in collaborative work is to ensure that they understand what's in it for *them*. When it comes to "defining scope", remember the adage to "have a strongly-defined vision but be flexible in the execution". Ownership of the problem and solution set needs to be distributed, and this in turn means that "scope" as we understand it, will necessarily be flexible.

Key Roles: Clearly identify who will take on what responsibilities, ensuring that each role aligns with individual expertise. Tools and Channels: Specify the platforms, apps, or communication channels that facilitate smooth cross-functional interactions. Milestones: Enumerate key milestones and deliverables to track the project's progress and keep everyone accountable. Metrics: Establish measurable success criteria, such as speed to market, user engagement, or revenue growth, to quantify the project's impact. Agile Approach: Confirm that the proposed scope aligns with an agile and iterative development process, allowing for flexibility and quick adjustments.

Addressing the elephant in the room is always important, and mitigating conflicts and risks is not always easy but part of the game, great ideas come from best debates and growth mindset.

One major barrier I have witnessed in poorly collaborating organizations is in the setting of inconsistent and incompatable KPIs. For instance, it’s common to see customer-centric KPIs (like NPS) sitting only in the sales and customer success teams…rather than putting this at the centre of all functions. Marketing, IT, Product etc. functions should all share customer centric KPIs and feel jointly incentivized.

Here I would suggest creating a safe space to test the cross-functional collaboration operational model and iterate from there. In these initial experiments, the goal would be to bring together the different stakeholders and help them evolve their ways of working, providing active coaching along the way. Then, these 'cross-functional' pioneers would be seen as references within the company and also infuse the new model throughout the rest of the organization.

1. Identify collaboration challenges. 2. Explain strategies to overcome these challenges. 3. Develop a risk management plan. 4. Highlight best practices and examples to guide your approach.

In corporate world, no one wants to take the risk and that's why most of clashes happen. but business demand is different. More the risk more the gain. once we have our scope defined with timelines, it is important to have strong program management layer who talk with each stakeholder collectively and independently Also customer communication should be scheduled timely for their satisfaction and to avoid last minute surprises. More you are with customer better you succeed. Accountability, ownership and problem solving attitude are key factors for developing TRUST internally and externally

Create a small pitch that: how cross functional collab will help Execs to achieve their goals These goals should be in sync with the Organisation' mission statement and vision.

1. Emphasize the importance of executive support. 2. Explain benefits for executives and their teams. 3. Specify the type of support needed. 4. Describe the reporting structure. 5. If necessary, request formal approval or endorsement.

Executive support for cross functional collaboration is important and should be requested without hesitation if it will help remove the barriers and benefit the project. Some of the teams may hesitate to participate in brainstorming/JAD sessions, or in solution design sessions if the organization has competing priorities and/or resources are stretched out thin. In these scenarios executives alignment and approval will facilitate progress and also build positive synergies among teams. Sometimes executives have to provide emergency approval for budgets/special tools which are not planned in the original scope. Also, I have seen executives step in to provide approvals for teams to work on fixes when it is technology freeze period.

Leaders get mentally satisfaction once someone asked for their support and they are ready for it always. understand their emotions and include them in organization success stories. you will not get their extended help but ways to solve your hidden problems. Always make them to visit clients, you will be positively surprised with the outcome of such meetings.. Already Tried and Tested :)

The value of cross-functional collaboration is strongly dependent on the strategy and vision of a company and is therefore a matter for the boss. It needs sponsorship and involvement of the leadership to start reinvention in companies. Execs must always align the goals of the project with the goals of the individual departments.

I agree, follow up and provide regular updates on the progress of cross-functional collaboration efforts. Prepare slides and demos and present to the executives on the results of your cross-functional collaboration efforts and how it aligns with the organizations goals. Continuous communication, evaluation and feedback are important to keep your executives informed and engaged with your efforts and progress

Periodic checkpoints on where we are, where we come from, and where we are heading are paramount to promote the much-needed alignment. I suggest proposing to the executives a monthly business review, especially during the initial experiments where findings and insights can lead to significant corrections of the roadmap.

I am missing the "present the solution" step. Executive have little time, and you must prepare to the crucial task of presenting your proposed solution. ask all team members, consult outside the team, rehearse the presentation, keep it short but clear, and hope for approval. You may find yourself going "back-to-the-drawing-board" as an option for executive response.

Cross-functional collaboration can help break down product silos and share in the success of a project. Execs benefit from the achievement of their objectives, while employee motivation increases and costs are usually reduced. The interaction of marketing & sales alone can quickly account for 15% more revenue.

Consider using tools like the RACI Matrix to show who you're involving and how they are involved in the scope of work to be done. This tool helps in aligning stakeholders in knowing the tasks to be done, who is Responsible, who is Accountable, who is Consulted and who is kept Informed about the progress of each task.

When PMs must sell executives on cross-funcionality, it reveals problems. Collaboration should be embedded in processes, not fought for. If silos and politics rule, take a step back. Ask: 👉 Why is alignment lacking at the top? 👉 What fosters distrust between teams? 👉 How can we incentivize openness? Breaking down walls starts with leadership vision and Psychological safety. Debating tactics is fruitless without cultural enablement.

Another important thing I think people should note is- know your executive and the kind of power each of the hold. Know which one you can bring on your side first before presenting to the entire executives. Also ensure you build strong professional relationships with them so they can fight your case even without you being in the room because they believe in you and your results.

The key to convincing executives of the value of cross-functional collaboration is to demonstrate the tangible benefits it brings to the organization. By showcasing where such collaboration has led to increased innovation, faster problem-solving, and improved customer satisfaction, we can highlight how it directly impacts the bottom line. Personalizing the message by sharing success stories and emphasizing the potential for cost savings and revenue growth can effectively persuade executives to embrace cross-functional collaboration as a strategic imperative for the company's success.

What works for me is to explain to management, that if people are working in silos, they are missing on innovation in big way. What can happen is that developer will receive specification what to do, but it will be easier for him/her to implement what is written, even if it doesn't make sense than organize meeting with design and product to challenge it. That is why having routines and regular cross functional meetings is so important.