Module 4: Cross-Functional Teams, Leadership, & Autonomy

Revisiting Foundations for Sensemaking

Reflecting on Module 4 Readings

Personal Takeaways & Key Insights: 

• The makeup of the team is paramount.  Cross-functional teams foster greater alignment and support sensemaking. 
• Providing autonomy empowers teams to perform at the highest levels.  
• Leadership support should provide a sound structure on which teams can stand.
• Create an enabling structure
• Ensure organizational systems are in place
• Leave space for well-timed coaching interventions

Summary of Reflection: 

In this module, the readings provided examples of cross-functional teams and the benefits of this approach. In particular, the readings evaluated the performance of the Butler Manufacturing Company. The work of this organization required multiple disciplines and expertise; however, the team ensured all participants received cross-training so that bottlenecks could be avoided if a team member had to step away. This approach supported the team's achievement of the aligned goals and supported individual growth among team members.  

We also began to explore considerations for leaders when in positions to oversee teams across organizations. The readings touched on the importance of autonomy and how trusting and empowering teams to make decisions while providing appropriate direction and guardrails as needed impacts performance. Reflecting on my personal experiences, I feel many organizations struggle with this. Organizations often have micro managerial cultures that do not provide space for teams to flourish. Furthermore, teams in these environments often appear handicapped, frustrated, and ultimately stuck. This limits the team's ability to achieve success and certainly hinders the ability to perform to its potential. 

So how can leaders support teams? The readings highlighted three critical points (also mentioned in the journal archive below).

1. Provide an enabling structure
2. Ensure organizational support systems are in place
3. Leave space for coaching interventions when the time is right

Journal Entry Archive: 

Elaboration

 I spent some time reflecting back on the Butler Manufacturing Company structure and how the team members moved through the different phases of the work. Their work required assembly, fabrication, painting, machining, and shipping. The team could have chosen to “stay in their lanes”; however, imagine the bottlenecks that would ensue if this was their approach. This passage of the text reinforced, indirectly, the importance of cross-functional teams. Not just for the sake of the team meeting its goals and objectives but for the betterment of each individual team member. This approach allowed team members to expand their skill sets and overall understanding of the entire project. In addition, this cross-functional approach fostered an even more significant alignment of the team around the shared goals and objectives and positioned team members to support one another. 

Concrete Examples

This quote says it all, “Employee autonomy does not just empower your people to do their best work, it taps into a deeper, more personal motivation that surpasses what external rewards, like money, can offer. This leads to passionate employees that are more creative, confident, and productive, which in turn leads to more successful businesses with a better bottom line” (Bigham, 2022). Our readings in this module touched on the importance of autonomy concerning teams; however, as I was reading, I reflected on the struggle I have seen with many organizations concerning this concept leading to punitive and micro managerial environments that suffocate employee passion. This culture and lack of autonomy certainly do not foster the team environment organizations should strive to achieve. Furthermore, as quoted above, providing autonomy leads to great personal satisfaction in one’s job and intrinsic motivation. 

Bigham, B. (2022, October 27). Why leaders should encourage employee autonomy. 15Five. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from https://www.15five.com/blog/employee-autonomy/ 

Dual Coding 

Directly from the readings, a section summarized how leaders could support their teams, highlighting three key points. 

The three critical points made included: 

1. Provide an enabling structure for the team
1. Depicted as the bridge
2. Ensure organizational systems are in place to support the team 
1. Depicted as the support systems providing the enabler 
3. Well-timed coaching interventions
1. When navigating the gaps or taking the initial steps, I imagine the leaders holding the enabling structure, coaching, and guiding the team to reach the other side of their goals/objectives.