Cross-functional collaboration
Cross-functional collaboration means getting work done with people in other teams who don't report to you and have their own priorities. You can't tell them what to do, so you need to understand what they need and agree a trade that works for both sides.
This conversation appears in 30.7% of 11,359 real cases. It's the second most common.
Source: Research Report 01, v0.2
Why it's hard
Their priorities were set before you turned up. Your request is extra work for them, and often nobody above them has said it matters.
So people tend to hint. They open with background and small talk, and the actual ask comes late or not at all. The other team walks away unsure what you wanted.
The other temptation is to lean on authority you don't have, or to escalate. That might get this one thing done, but it makes your next request harder.
What we look for
Three sample behaviours from the four groups this moment is assessed on.
- Opening
- Understanding their position
- Trading
- Closing
- Present:You stated what you need in your first two turns
- Present:You said why it matters to them, not only to you
- Present:You did not invoke authority you do not have
A sample. The assessment also looks for behaviours we don't list.
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