Discuss ways to effectively organize, manage and drive cross functional teams for more successful product launches.

Cross functional, dis functional - what's the difference?

How do you have people that passionately drive their own teams but also have respect for other teams?

How do you have creative tension and debates while still having decisiveness?

I work in a small team, so we do that crazy thing where you just talk to each other. It's much harder as teams and companies get bigger. It's also harder if you are geogrpahically dispersed.

 

Small teams are great because you can get in a room and yell at each other and work out issues quickly.  Many companies are so geographically challenged that getting people on the same telephone call is a challenge.  The key to making CFTs work in most organizations is support from management first, and then an acceptance of the matrix management approach.  In a CFT it's not uncommon from a VP to "report" to someone with a lesser title in the organization.  That can be tough for some to accept.

Ultimately a CFT has to driven by a leader who has the authority to make decisions.  Successful CFTs are not democratic.  They are a team of people who provide input and guidance to the CFT leader who must be decisive and drive the team to completion.