How do you honor your cross-functional team's contributions?

When was the last time your efforts were recognized by your immediate manager? Recognition is extremely important for the way that employees feel about their contribution, their workplace, and how they are contributing to a team. It takes very little effort to say 'thank you' and sincere recognition becomes more powerful when delivered in a group setting, or on a global call but it all adds up. Never forget that your company success is as a result of the efforts of the entire team, keep thanking people because they need to know you recognize and value their contribution.

In each of my past career stops, I’ve worked collectively with the budgeting team to build a little money to procure small gift cards ($25, $50, $100) for places like Amazon, Starbucks, Subway, Qdoba, Home Depot, etc… to give out to people who contribute to continuous improvement ideas & efforts where we can quantify an ROI or see an improvement in cycle time or process efficiencies. Then I award the gift card to the contributor in front of their peers, even if I have to come into the plant at 3am to catch 3rd shift! Ya talk about proud moments when people get recognized in front of peers….engagement sky rockets, people feel valued & appreciated, and people like coming to work!!

It’s important to whom the acknowledgment is shared. Cross-functional teams are not your reports. So, they did amazing work, send a note to their manager and copy them on it. Explain what they did well. Then send a follow up to the manager without the person it. Give the manager more detail. Also, thank the manager for giving them time from their team to your project. Offer to the manager to contribute to the person’s performance management or support a promotion. If you want to take it a step further, reach out to the managers and manager and express your gratitude in receiving the support and how the managers decision to lend resources had an outsized impact on the business.

Recognizing the efforts of my team members has always been a priority for me. I firmly believe that every individual's contributions, no matter how small, play a crucial role in the overall success of a project. I recall a specific instance where one of my team members went above and beyond to complete a task under a tight deadline. I made sure to publicly acknowledge their dedication and hard work during a team meeting, expressing my gratitude for their commitment to excellence. Seeing the joy and sense of accomplishment on their face reaffirmed the importance of recognizing individual efforts.

In my experience, providing visible authorship credits of assets created encourages collective efforts that contribute to higher quality content. Inclusive behaviors with proper credits attributed are very powerful both to empower and recognize individual and team contributions.

I have always emphasized the significance of fostering a supportive and collaborative team environment. In the past, I introduced a peer recognition program within my team. I encouraged team members to appreciate and acknowledge each other's contributions regularly. Witnessing the positive impact it had on team dynamics was truly gratifying. One memorable moment was when a team member praised another colleague's creative problem-solving skills during a team huddle, sparking an insightful discussion and fostering a sense of camaraderie among the team.

Actively uplifting peers, leading by example organically creates a culture of peers supporting each other. We create positive impact in the sphere of our work.

Leaders can encourage peer-to-peer recognition of their cross-functional teams by providing opportunities for team members to collaborate on projects, facilitating team-building activities and workshops, promoting a positive and inclusive work environment, encouraging feedback and constructive criticism among team members, and publicly acknowledging and appreciating instances of peer recognition within the team.

Investing in the growth and development of my team members has been a personal priority throughout my career. I actively seek out opportunities to support their professional advancement. For instance, I once identified a team member with exceptional leadership potential and arranged for them to attend a leadership training program. Witnessing their growth and confidence as they took on new challenges within the team was immensely rewarding. It reinforced my belief in the value of providing growth opportunities to honor the contributions of my cross-functional team.

Unfortunately, I’ve had managers who have kept me in a cage, preventing me from flying. I’ve taken this experience and used it to be the manager that I never had. I meet with my reports monthly to talk about growth and development opportunities—whether that’s a new/different project, understanding their professional growth trajectory and how to help them get there, or considering educational programs too. I always let them know that my role as a leader is to help them get to their next, whatever that might be and I will always be supportive of that.

Leaders can provide growth and development opportunities to their cross-functional teams by allocating resources for professional development, encouraging continuous learning and self-improvement, supporting participation in industry conferences or workshops, facilitating networking opportunities, providing access to online learning platforms or educational resources, and offering opportunities for team members to take on new responsibilities or lead initiatives that align with their career goals and interests.

How a leader behaves to overcome challenges creates trust. When an individual is challenged to deliver on what is assigned, the leader should invest in understanding what support that individual needs to confidently step into the assignment. Providing that support and celebrating milestones empowers the individual to greater hights.

Empowering my team to make decisions has always been a fundamental aspect of my leadership style. I recall a project where we faced a significant obstacle that required immediate action. Instead of imposing my own solution, I gathered the team, presented the challenge, and facilitated a discussion. By allowing each team member to contribute their ideas and perspectives, we collectively developed a solution that surpassed what any individual could have achieved alone. Witnessing the team's sense of ownership and pride in their decision-making validated the importance of empowerment.

Empowerment is not only key to employee engagement, it’s a catalyst for innovation in cross-functional teams where all voices are valued. The best leaders incorporate all of the above elements for inspired, high-performing teams. They communicate how the clear (often quantitative) goals feed into the corporate strategy while offering and receiving feedback early and often.

Leaders can empower their cross-functional teams to make decisions by providing them with the necessary information and resources, fostering a culture of open communication and transparency, encouraging collaboration and brainstorming sessions, promoting a supportive and non-hierarchical work environment, and recognizing and rewarding team members for their successful decision-making and problem-solving abilities.

I firmly believe that the best ideas often emerge from collaboration and diverse perspectives. In a recent project, I implemented a feedback system that allowed team members to share their suggestions and opinions openly. I ensured that their input was not only collected but also carefully considered during decision-making processes. This inclusive approach not only generated innovative ideas but also made my team members feel valued and heard. The project's success reinforced the significance of soliciting and acting on the input of my cross-functional team.

Consider if you have a regular forum available for cross-functional ideas to be shared and team members to contribute then use this to solicit ideas. Many of the innovations that I have ultimately deployed as global standards originated from a regular meeting where team members from around the world virtually meet together. When you implement these ideas remember to acknowledge the origin of the idea which further encourages future collaboration. I have used the analogy many times that there is no recipe for this, we need to be constantly open to new ideas and perspectives on how best to provide service to our clients.

Diversity is a powerful asset within any team, and I have always celebrated and embraced it. I recall organizing a team-building event that celebrated the diverse backgrounds and cultures of my team members. We shared personal stories and experiences, fostering a deep sense of mutual understanding and respect. This celebration of diversity not only brought the team closer together but also nurtured an environment where unique perspectives were cherished. It was a poignant reminder of the importance of celebrating and honoring the diversity within my cross-functional team.

Diversity of thought, perspectives, backgrounds, and inclusive behaviors are key to creating a trusted environment that brings out the best in everyone.

All the suggestions above are very accurate. As a leader, I make it a point to recognize the efforts of my cross-functional team in a timely and public manner. A simple thank-you note can go a long way, and a gift card is always a thoughtful gesture (it's not just about what you say, but how you make them feel). One additional suggestion I would like to add is to copy the direct manager when recognizing the cross-functional team members. In cross-functional settings, it's common for team members to be peers rather than reporting to the same manager. By involving their manager, you ensure that their efforts and contributions are acknowledged and appreciated by the relevant authority

A very true statement throughout my career was "You don't get bad soldiers only bad generals and good generals have good soldiers". Surround yourself with good people that have trust and honesty and in the long term it pays off with success. Politics is a killer in companies, it not only kills morale, but eventually it kills the company.

Say 'thank you' early and often. A thank you doesn't cost anything Celebrate success, have parties, give gifts to show your appreciation.