How can you coach struggling cross-functional team leaders?

As a leader in Business Intelligence, I've seen firsthand the power of data-driven insights in guiding cross-functional teams. Utilizing tools like feedback surveys and 360-degree reviews not only highlights a leader's strengths but also pinpoints areas for growth. Remember, it's not just about identifying gaps, but leveraging those insights to drive meaningful change and foster a culture of continuous improvement. 🚀💪 #LeadershipDevelopment #TeamworkMakesTheDreamWork

In my experience, the quickest way to make a meaningful impact is to the leader to utilize team strengths. If the team is struggling, focus on detailing the strengths, the project/team needs, and ensuring that the strengths align with the needs. This will probably result in some restructuring of actions and that’s ok. Quick wins can reroute a team towards success and the quick wins will happen if the players are playing in the right position. Of course you want to develop team weaknesses as well, but if the team/leader are struggling, the top priority should be getting on track quickly.

Establish a top down 'unmet need' matrix. sometimes these leaders do not recognize their gap as they are wildly successful in their operation. Once the unmet need is established have a candid conversation about the problems (challenges) that support said unmet need. Again recognition and agreement there is a problem/challenge is key. Once that is in place now do the same for the Unmet Needs that were achieved as well as the problems that were resolved and cross reference the strengths and gaps into a matrix this matrix should also be acknowledged , once that is done a matrix of matrixes' of all leaders is put together and in conjunction with those leaders you try to leverage each other's strengths to mitigate the gaps ,voila teambuilding!

The word I would focus on here is flexibility. We all have our preferences in communication and management style and we are leading cross functional team flexibility is a skill to master. First understand the team leader's personality style to grasp their natural gifts. Second understand the different people from the different departments to grasp their preferences. Third, coach the leader on how he or she can be flexible when dealing with different team members and departments. The coaching will vary: 1. How comfortable is the leader with changing their style? Maybe this is where most of the coaching should be if it is an S-wired individual (from DISC assessment) 2. What are they motivated by? Use 2 to coach the leader to be flexible.

I had the privilege of managing a team of cross-functional leaders and my first action was directed towards building trust and rapport with these leaders, hence setting the foundation, then an assessment of their specific strengths as well as areas for improvement. Next, setting clear, achievable goals aligned with organizational objectives to help guide their development. Providing regular feedback, mentoring, ongoing support is the most crucial of all to encourage a culture of continuous learning and adaptability within the team as this enhance their skills and readiness. Recognizing and empowering them as they demonstrate growth and success, fosters motivation and commitment to their role leading to team success, and company’s success.

Ultimately you want to know why they are struggling. Identifying strengths and gaps won't always give you the answers as to why. You need to engage in a respectful truth telling process. It's also important that there are specific project outcomes and impact you can measure performance against. Otherwise it's of little value to the development of the other person.

Accountability can challenging to navigate. Be sure to align with the leader on what accountability/ownership looks like and what the impact would be if the goals are NOT met.

Where possible it's important to listen and learn from the wider team. They will have lessons and insights the team leader does not. If you want ownership it must be a collective effort across diverse roles and teams. I avoid the term realistic as it is very self limiting. Realistic to whom and what? My preference is to use fair and reasonable. Words make a difference so chose wisely.

Be there to support not just to correct Thanks for the Feedback by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen can guide you, feeling the backbone of your team

Leaders should focus on relationship building in order to have a radically candid (I love that book) working relationship. Feedback should be continuous, authentic, and based off trust. We are far less likely to be upset from negative feedback if it comes from someone we trust and know have our best interest in mind. Ensure that you develop that relationship with the leader and coach the leader to do the same with the cross functional team.

Avoid feedback and give advice. Feedback can be vague and based on the past. Advice is actionable, accountable and forward focused. What are you measuring against? Every Leader, Manager and team member needs a personalised L& D plan that is relevant to outcomes and impact to be achieved.

One piece of caution I would add: when they do reach roadblocks, be sure to evaluate how much of a role you need to play in removing the obstacle. A lot of time, there is value in having the individual working through most of the obstacle themselves. With a struggling team, you may want to be more directive with removing obstacles until the team is back on track.

It's essential the Team Leader co-designs their growth plan with you. And there is consistent opportunities to review, check in and update the plan as needed. Normally I allow time each week to ensure there is focus and accountability from all parties. An hour can achieve alot with a focused agenda.

There's more to making learning cultures a reality then the space allowed here to respond to it. But I do address it in my own content. To create true learning cultures you are designing a different organizational DNA. You need to create the following as the organizational foundation. - The processes and systems to make it a reality - Time and space to trial learning and new knowledge - Personalised learning and development plans - A framework for continual, two way check ins between all members of the team This AI response will not get you any closer to creating a sustainable learning culture.

Coach cross team leaders to identify bottlenecks. Understanding the bottleneck helps the leaders to assign ownership and accountability to the right team. This also facilitates other teams to understand the priority of a deliverable. All teams then can leverage towards the same priority and adjust their roadmap.

It's important to consider people could struggle with personal challenges and poor performance is not always a skill gap. In this case, supporting the team member with empathy and available resources could help.

Cross-functional team leaders often struggle to resist the urge to do everything themselves. Their diverse skillsets make it tempting, but micromanaging dilutes their impact and hinders collaboration. Successful leaders prioritize and delegate. Their role is to provide strategic direction, empower team members, and foster an environment where everyone thrives. This focused approach frees them for strategic thinking, relationship building, and tackling critical challenges. By coaching leaders to shift from "being everywhere" to impactful focus, we can empower them to drive better outcomes. It crucial to prioritize depth over breadth, strategic guidance over micromanagement, and collaboration over individual heroics.

Rethink traditional coaching for cross-functional team leaders. Methods like 360-degree reviews might be skewed by biases, not accurately reflecting a leader's abilities. Consider a controversial approach: question the structure of cross-functional teams. Is it realistic for one person to handle such diverse challenges? Perhaps decentralize leadership, spreading responsibilities among team members. This leverages collective strengths, fostering innovation and effective decision-making, while challenging traditional hierarchical models.