Cross-functional leadership is hard (because most organizations make it so). The hearts of employees live with their bosses or functions rather than the enterprise.
I just supported a group of leaders who began the meeting blaming everyone else for their problems. Below are 10 of the questions we used to generate a shared reality and focus the energy of the team on what matters most:
- What criteria are you using to determine priorities?
- As you execute, how will you respond when you encounter competing priorities?
- How do you determine if your functional priorities are aligned with those of the enterprise?
- After we leave this meeting, when you are under pressure to shift your priorities, what will you communicate to stakeholders?
- What work are you most/least excited about? (This reveals where early focus and energy will go.)
- What are you pretending isn’t a barrier to delivering your priorities – but is?
- What is the top distraction of your focus – which, when eliminated, will enable greater results?
- What methods will you use to sustain a deep focus on your top priority?
- Who will be your accountability partner to keep you honest in delivering your priorities?
- What is the reward for you personally as you successfully prioritize your work?
These questions are particularly powerful when they are asked after a declaration has been made of what is important to accomplish – and why. This is how collaborative leaders are direct and inclusive of diverse ideas and motivations.
The velocity with which your cross-functional team delivers on priorities is a matter of focus. As has been said: Energy flows where focus goes.
