1. Teambuilding: Working Together to Achieve a Common Goal
Presented by:
Maribeth C. Bohley &
Deirdre Anderson

2. Teams are… groups of people working together toward a common goal
The most simple definition of cross-functional teams (or CFTs) is groups that are made up of people from different functional areas within a company—marketing, engineering, sales, and human resources, for example. These teams take many forms, but they are most often set up as working groups that are designed to make decisions at a lower level than is customary in a given company. They can be either a company's primary form of organizational structure, or they can exist in addition to the company's main hierarchical structure.

3. Functional Cross-Functional Self-Directed
Types of Teams
Functional Cross-Functional Self-Directed
Self-Directed
Cross-functional teams are similar to conventional work teams, but they differ in several important ways. First, they are usually composed of members who have competing loyalties and obligations to their primary subunit within the company (for example, a marketing person serving on a cross-functional team has strong ties to his or her home department that may conflict with the role he or she is being asked to play on the CFT). Second, in companies where CFTs are being used on a part-time basis as opposed to a permanent organizational structure, they are often temporary groups organized for one important purpose, which means group members are often under considerable pressure. On these temporary teams, the early development of stable and effective group interaction is imperative. Finally, CFTs are often held to higher performance standards than conventional teams. Not only are they expected to perform a task or produce a product, they are also expected to reduce cycle time, create knowledge about the CFT process, and disseminate that knowledge throughout the organization.
Functional Teams

4. For teams to succeed they need…
Team members must be open-minded and highly motivated.
Team members must bring their “A” game to the group
A strong team leader with excellent communication skills and a position of authority if possible.
The team must have both the authority and the accountability to accomplish the mission it has been given.
Must have the resources and support for the team, both moral and financial, to complete the task or goal
Good communication skills- listening, speaking and paraphrasing

5. Advantages of Teams Improve coordination and integration
Span organizational boundaries
Reduce the production cycle time (especially in new product development)
Facilitate effective change management and large scale implementations/changes
Improve problem solving
More thorough and effective decision-making
Cross functional teams can serve as pockets of innovation, and improve both individual and group performance.
Northwestern Mutual Life insurance company pioneered their use in the 1950s when the CEO of the company brought together people from the financial, investment, actuarial, and other departments to study the impact that computers would have on the business world. As a result of that first CFT, Northwestern was among the first companies in the country to create an information systems department that gave the company a large competitive advantage as computers gained in popularity. The company now relies on cross-functional teams in almost every facet of its organization. Based on success stories like this one, CFTs slowly grew in popularity throughout the 1960s and 1970s before exploding in popularity in the 1980s when faster production time and increased organizational performance became critical in almost every industry.

6. Disadvantages of Teams
Often face regular conflict situations. This is especially true of cross-functional teams that are relatively new.
Can actually limit the professional growth of team members because they have a narrow focus in one area.
Need people who are invested in the team and outcomes
Require exceptional leadership

7. ACTIVITY
Arctic Expedition

8. DISCUSSION
What stood out about your teams interactions/communications?
Did everyone agree at first? How did you resolve disagreements?
Did everyone feel like they were heard and that their ideas were considered?
What worked and did not work well?
What was it like to come to consensus on your decisions?
Were more perspectives better than one- in what ways did you learn from each other?

9. Thank You!