Last updated on Apr 22, 2024

How do you share cross-functional team updates with senior management?

As a cross-functional team leader, you need to communicate effectively with senior management to keep them informed of your team's progress, challenges, and achievements. However, sharing cross-functional team updates is not always easy, especially when you have to balance different stakeholder expectations, priorities, and perspectives. How do you share cross-functional team updates with senior management in a way that is clear, concise, and compelling? Here are some tips to help you:

1 Know your audience

Before you prepare your update, think about who you are reporting to and what they care about. Different senior managers may have different levels of interest, involvement, and influence in your cross-functional team. Some may want to know the big picture, some may want to know the details, and some may want to know both. You need to tailor your update to suit their preferences, needs, and goals. For example, if you are reporting to the CEO, you may want to focus on how your team aligns with the company's vision, mission, and values. If you are reporting to the CFO, you may want to highlight how your team contributes to the bottom line, reduces costs, or increases revenue.

Add your perspective

2 Choose your format

Depending on your audience, your purpose, and your message, you may choose different formats to share your cross-functional team updates with senior management. Email is a quick and easy way to share brief and timely updates, such as milestones, achievements, or issues that need immediate attention. Presentations are more formal and structured for comprehensive and in-depth updates. Meetings are more interactive and collaborative for dynamic and relevant updates. However, be mindful of not sending too many emails or making presentations too long or complex, as well as scheduling too many meetings or inviting too many people - these can reduce the impact of your message and waste time and resources. Utilize bullet points, charts, visuals, videos, agendas, facilitators, or moderators to make your message concise and clear while engaging your audience.

Add your perspective

Glenn van Kooijk

IT Director, Digital Transformation and EPMO | ITIL, PMP, Agile PM
Report contribution
How you communicate is way more important than what you communicate , these are very true words! Having said that you choose a format that is acceptable for the Management team and each team is different , some like visuals others like figures...make sure you first assess the information need from them before building anything. If your audience permits it showcase formats with bogus data so they can get a feel for what it is. Going out and building multiple formats with 'their' data is very popular (particularly consulting companies love this for obvious reasons) but I find that having access and asking what they want to know with some high level examples gets the job done much quicker.

Like

3 Follow the STAR method

The STAR method is an effective way to structure cross-functional team updates for senior management. It stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. The Situation portion should include the context and background of the team, such as the scope, objectives, and deliverables of the project or initiative. The Task section should explain the roles and responsibilities of each team member, such as their skills, expertise, and functions. The Action part should showcase the actions and results of the team, such as activities, achievements, and challenges. Lastly, the Result should highlight the impact and value of the team, such as outcomes, benefits, and learnings they have delivered or generated. By using the STAR method to share cross-functional team updates with senior management, you can ensure that your presentation is logical, coherent, and informative.

Add your perspective

Kelsi Johnson

Technical Program Manager | Certified Professional Coach | Data Geek | Mystery Solver | Senior Dog Adopter
Report contribution
In a world where everyone wants your attention, it's important to keep the must read information front and center. I like to start with the bottom line and the ask if any and then say further detail attached or provided below. This allows for senior management to answer quickly. If they want more context, they can have it but going through that context with the end in mind is much more efficient for them.

Like

4 Be honest and transparent

One of the most important aspects of sharing cross-functional team updates with senior management is to be honest and transparent. You need to report both the good and the bad, the successes and the failures, the strengths and the weaknesses of your cross-functional team. You need to acknowledge the challenges and risks your team faces, as well as the opportunities and solutions your team creates. You need to provide evidence and data to support your claims, as well as feedback and suggestions to improve your performance. Being honest and transparent can help you build trust and credibility with senior management, as well as demonstrate your accountability and professionalism.

Add your perspective

5 Seek feedback and input

Another important aspect of sharing cross-functional team updates with senior management is to seek feedback and input. You need to listen to what senior management has to say about your cross-functional team, such as their opinions, expectations, and recommendations. You need to ask questions to clarify their points, as well as answer their questions to address their concerns. You need to invite them to share their insights, ideas, or resources to help your cross-functional team grow and succeed. Seeking feedback and input can help you foster collaboration and alignment with senior management, as well as show your respect and appreciation for their involvement.

Add your perspective

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

Add your perspective

Dr. Jennifer Bryant

Strategic &Thoughtful Senior Leader|Change Maker|Board Member|Retired Federal Gov't Executive|People Leadership Coach & Mentor|C-Suite Advisor|People, Culture & Diversity|Keynote Speaker|International Bestselling Author
(edited)
Report contribution
Other ways: Senior leadership meetings: Hold enterprise or organizational wide meetings where each cross-functional team presents their updates. This allows senior leadership to get a comprehensive understanding of all the teams' progress in one session. Assign a time limit for each presentation to ensure the meeting remains concise and efficient. One-on-one meetings: Schedule individual meetings with senior leadership to discuss the updates of each cross-functional team in detail. This allows for more personalized communication and provides an opportunity for leaders to ask questions or share guidance.

Like
Dr. Jennifer Bryant

Strategic &Thoughtful Senior Leader|Change Maker|Board Member|Retired Federal Gov't Executive|People Leadership Coach & Mentor|C-Suite Advisor|People, Culture & Diversity|Keynote Speaker|International Bestselling Author
Report contribution
1. Weekly or monthly reports including dashboards: Compile a concise report highlighting the key updates from each cross-functional team. Include important achievements, milestones, challenges, and any actions taken. You can use clear headings and bullet points to make it easy to read and understand. 2. Presentations: Schedule a meeting with senior leadership to present the cross-functional team updates. Prepare a slide deck that includes visual aids such as charts, graphs, or progress trackers to illustrate the key points effectively. Ensure you focus on essential information and keep the presentation concise.

Like

Cross-functional Team Leadership

Rate this article

We created this article with the help of AI. What do you think of it?

It’s great It’s not so great

Report this article

See all

How do you share cross-functional team updates with senior management?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Know your audience

2 Choose your format

3 Follow the STAR method

4 Be honest and transparent

5 Seek feedback and input

6 Here’s what else to consider

Cross-functional Team Leadership

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

More articles on Cross-functional Team Leadership

More relevant reading