Building Relationships Across Different Functions

Too often, I’ve been in a meeting where everyone agreed collaboration was essential—yet when it came to execution, things stalled. Silos persisted, friction rose, and progress felt painfully slow. A recent Harvard Business Review article highlights a frustrating truth: even the best-intentioned leaders struggle to work across functions. Why? Because traditional leadership development focuses on vertical leadership (managing teams) rather than lateral leadership (influencing peers across the business). The best cross-functional leaders operate differently. They don’t just lead their teams—they master LATERAL AGILITY: the ability to move side to side, collaborate effectively, and drive results without authority. The article suggests three strategies on how to do this: (1) Think Enterprise-First. Instead of fighting for their department, top leaders prioritize company-wide success. They ask: “What does the business need from our collaboration?” rather than “How does this benefit my team?” (2) Use "Paradoxical Questions" to Avoid Stalemates. Instead of arguing over priorities, they find a way to win together by asking: “How can we achieve my objective AND help you meet yours?” This shifts the conversation from turf battles to solutions. (3) “Make Purple” Instead of Pushing a Plan. One leader in the article put it best: “I bring red, you bring blue, and together we create purple.” The best collaborators don’t show up with a fully baked plan—they co-create with others to build trust and alignment. In my research, I’ve found that curiosity is so helpful in breaking down silos. Leaders who ask more questions—genuinely, not just performatively—build deeper trust, uncover hidden constraints, and unlock creative solutions. - Instead of assuming resistance, ask: “What constraints are you facing?” - Instead of pushing a plan, ask: “How might we build this together?” - Instead of guarding your function’s priorities, ask: “What’s the bigger picture we’re missing?” Great collaboration isn’t about power—it’s about perspective. And the leaders who master it create workplaces where innovation thrives. Which of these strategies resonates with you most? #collaboration #leadership #learning #skills https://lnkd.in/esC4cfjS

We assume our managers know everything we’re doing and the value we’re creating. They don’t. Years ago, I faced a challenge with a department that consistently missed deliverables. The frustration was building on both sides—they felt overwhelmed by competing priorities, and we felt let down by promises unfulfilled. That’s when I developed what I call “Three-Point Landings” - a simple but powerful approach to cross-functional collaboration: 1. WHAT are you going to deliver? 2. HOW are you going to deliver it? 3. WHEN will it be delivered? It sounds basic, but I’ve found that most breakdowns in trust happen not because people don’t want to deliver, but because expectations were assumed rather than explicitly stated. With one particularly challenged IT department, we got to the point where we would actually write these three points on paper and have their leader sign it. When deliverables were met, we’d celebrate by posting them above their office door with a “Way to Go” sign. When expectations weren’t met, the rule was simple: come back and renegotiate before the deadline. This approach transformed our working relationship, created accountability, and built trust between departments—which is really important when navigating matrix environments. I’ve since used it with finance teams, marketing partners, and even in conversations with my own leaders. The next time you’re collaborating across departments, try this approach. You might be surprised how something so simple can be so transformative. #Leadership #CrossFunctionalTeams #ExpectationSetting #TransformativeLeadership

I can tell you what leading cross-functional teams has taught me about breaking down silos. Early in my career, I thought that if I just got the right engineers, the perfect product managers, and top-tier program managers, magic would happen. Easy, right? Well… not exactly. I didn’t realize that each group had its own language, priorities, and ways of communicating. The result? There was a lot of head nodding in meetings, but then everyone would go back to their corners to do their own thing. It’s no wonder we couldn’t move the needle. I’ll never forget one project in particular. The engineers were deep into solving technical issues (and having fun with it), product was focused on the customer experience (which, of course, led to endless feature requests), and program management just wanted it all delivered on time (preferably yesterday). Each team was doing great work in their silo, but we weren’t aligned. The fix? Once we stopped treating these groups like separate kingdoms and started operating like a team with one mission, things changed. I made it a point to bring the engineers into customer discussions, get product involved in technical decisions, and have program managers understand why a delay wasn’t just a bottleneck but a chance to build something better. It wasn’t about flattening the org -- it was about flattening the conversations. When product, engineering, and program actually started talking, we didn’t just hit deadlines-- we built something better. And suddenly, that “magic” I thought would happen? It did. Breaking down the silos wasn’t easy. It took time, trust, and a lot of awkward cross-functional conversations. But, the payoff was better products, stronger teams, and more alignment across the board. So, here’s my question to you: How do you break down silos in your organization? What’s worked (and what hasn’t)? Drop a comment -- I’d love to hear your stories about getting product, engineering, and program to work together.