How to Build Cross-Functional Relationships

No matter what size organization you’re a part of, it can be easy to get lulled into a social groove at work. If you’re not careful, you can end up isolated or stuck in a silo, surrounded by the same small group of people day after day, far from other teams and departments.

These kinds of organizational divides can cause tunnel vision and knowledge hoarding. It can lead to missed opportunities for collaboration, inefficiencies, and a limited understanding of broader business goals.

Building strong cross-functional relationships helps break down these barriers and creates a more connected and productive social dynamic.

Cross functional relationships aren’t just “nice to have,” they are an important part of strategic career management and long-term professional success. Whether you’re connecting with other people who have your same role in different parts of the organization, or people who do entirely different jobs, there is so much to be gained from these relationships. The good news is that this skill can be learned and implemented in any environment, whether you’re an in-person, remote or hybrid employee.

What Are Cross-Functional Relationships?

Cross-functional relationships are connections you build with colleagues in different teams, departments, or areas of expertise. Instead of working in isolation, these relationships create channels for sharing ideas and information. By collaborating with peers from other functional areas, you gain a broader perspective and create a stronger foundation for teamwork.

Why Cross-Functional Relationships Are Important

• Enhanced Collaboration and Communication

When people in different parts of the organization share insights with one another, it creates a free flow of information and breaks down silos. This exchange of diverse perspectives helps overcome “groupthink,” where everyone conforms without challenging one another, and leads to better decision-making, more effective problem solving, and improved innovation.

• Career Growth and Development

Building relationships across the organization also expands your network, which can be a helpful tool for your own career advancement aspirations. The more people who know, like and trust you, the more opportunities you are likely to have. Your cross-functional contacts may lead to mentorship, exciting new projects or even new job opportunities.

• Increased Efficiency and Process Improvement

When you understand how other teams operate and have established relationships within them, you can better coordinate the work that flows between you. Cross-functional relationships make it much easier to streamline communication, address challenges as they arise, avoid duplicate efforts, and ensure that everyone is aligned.

How to Build Cross-Functional Relationships

Strong cross-functional relationships don’t just happen by accident—they require intentional effort. This is especially true for those working in remote positions or with remote team members. However, even when working in-person, you might have to make a concerted effort to get out of comfort zone and make new connections.

Initiate: Make the First Move 

Here are some strategies to help you proactively seek out opportunities to connect with new people.

• Show Curiosity: Ask open-ended questions to learn about different teams, their challenges, and how their work connects to yours. Build rapport by connecting over personal interests as well, like hobbies and other outside-of-work activities. Just remember that it’s not an interrogation. People respond to genuine interest so be authentic.
• Schedule One-on-One Meetings: Invite a colleague for a virtual or in-person coffee or lunch. Keep it informal and focused on getting to know them, rather than discussing a specific work topic. You’ll be surprised how a little light chit-chat time can open up the relationship.
• Participate in Company Activities: Engage in cross-departmental initiatives like committees, volunteer events, or employee resource groups to meet people outside of your immediate team. I know you’re already busy, and adding another thing to your calendar isn’t always ideal, but even just a few events per quarter can make a big difference.
• Leverage Digital Communication: If you’re remote or working with people in other locations, use messaging platforms like Slack or Teams to introduce yourself to colleagues in different departments and engage in discussions. You may be surprised by how quickly you can build rapport via chat tools!

Participate: Strengthen and Maintain Connections

Once you’ve made initial connections, the next step is to nurture these relationships to turn them from acquaintances into trusted peers. Here are some strategies to consider.

• Be a Resource: Offer your expertise, share relevant insights, and provide assistance when colleagues need support, whether they’re part of your work area or not.
• Follow Up and Stay Engaged: Check in regularly with your contacts in other areas of the business and see how they’re doing. Share useful articles, ask for their input on a project, or just see how you can support their goals. Remember that relationships take time to develop; it’s an ongoing commitment not a one-time thing.
• Collaborate: Look for ways to work with other departments. Consider how your projects might benefit from outside perspective and leverage your connections when you can.
• Leverage Technology to Stay Connected: Set up recurring check-ins or create shared workspaces where ongoing communication can happen organically. 

Appreciate: Acknowledge and Uplift Your Network

Showing appreciation helps to strengthen your relationships even more. Everyone wants to feel valued! This is a great way to create a positive team dynamic that pays dividends in the future.

• Acknowledge Efforts: Give credit where it’s due. Whether acknowledging a small assist or a major contribution, recognizing the work of the others fosters goodwill and inspires them to want to help again in the future!
• Share Credit Publicly: Highlight the work of others in meetings, emails or company-wide communications where you can. Give a slack shout-out or a LinkedIn endorsement. There just isn’t enough praise in the workplace, and there’s no reason we have to wait for it to come from leaders. Go ahead and acknowledge your peers!
• Offer Support: When someone is struggling or focused on a high-pressure goal, send them a note of encouragement or stop by their desk and ask how you can help. People often struggle in silence because asking for help is hard. But when someone notices the need and offers, it feels very comforting and supportive.
• Celebrate Wins: Whether it’s successfully completing a project or achieving a personal or professional milestone, take time to cheer on the wins of your cross-functional colleagues.

Cross-functional relationships don’t just improve workplace dynamics, they contribute to your career advancement and make work a more enjoyable experience for everyone. No matter what your role or environment, these principles will help you build and maintain meaningful relationships beyond your immediate work group. 

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