Consulting Director at Qualintra
Analysis of 360° feedback generally shows that managers perceived as the best performers by their teams often receive significantly more critical scores from their peers and colleagues. We have observed that this trend has been exacerbated in recent months by the effects of the Covid crisis.
Remote management and the rules of distancing are forcing managers to get closer to their teams and focus their efforts on employee commitment.
The vast majority of these managers told us that they had become aware of their role ascohesion agent and strive to maintain a team climate positive. As a result, they devote more energy and time to it than in "normal" times.
In addition, the mental pressure The current widespread uncertainty over the short and medium term (economic activity, national and international restrictions, etc.) is prompting them to refocus on their core business.
Finally, the teleworking and social distancing de facto reduce the proximity between colleagues and peers and the opportunities for informal exchange.
The deterioration of the cross-functional relationship is in danger of leading to the revival of silos and the logic of chapels.
The collateral damage The potential pitfalls are well known: untapped business opportunities, lack of cross-fertilisation, less fluid circulation of information and best practice, less time for exchanging views on common issues and challenges, tenser internal customer/supplier relations, lack of collegiality, to name but a few. So what can be done?
First of all - once again - the example must come from the top.
In addition to incentives to cooperate, the managers must play their role as cross-functional agents by continuing to make themselves available to their peers so that they can discuss their respective difficulties, and by demonstrating visible behaviour mutual help and support.
Some management committees would benefit from taking more time to analyse the constraints of their peers and the contributions they expect from them as well as those they feel they can make. The conclusion ofcooperation agreements internal formal or informal structures would enable collaborative approaches to be structured and their objectives to be rolled out throughout the organisation, right down to team level.
Similarly, the sharing of certain objectives (and their impact on part of the variable remuneration of those concerned) would encourage more effective collaboration between departments.
For example, setting common objectives at marketing and commercial in terms of results on new product launches or the reduction of slow-moving items can help to bring the departments concerned closer together.
Secondly, managers need to ensure that their staff and teams are aware of the benefits of closer collaboration. Thinking together about greater pooling of resources can help to smooth the load on overloaded departments.
It can also involve running multi-purpose workshops on the sharing of good practice as part of the remote management and health constraints.
These elements must accompany a reflection a more general in-depth discussion with managers on time and how it is used to ensure that a good level of cross-functionality coexists with a high level of efficiency. managerial relationship with their teams.
How can they free up time to maintain the cross-functional relationship ?
This search for optimisation can take several directions: strengthening delegation and accountability, staying focused on priorities, selecting from their network the critical stakeholders with whom we need to spend time.
For example, taking a step back and asking simple questions such as "What do you mean? What can I stop doing, what can I do less of, what can I do differently? "This can quickly reveal potential time savings.
The use of a socio-dynamic approach of their ecosystem (identification and mapping of stakeholders) also enables them to give priority to relationships with a few actors keys.
Here again, a few simple questions can help them to make these relationships win/win: "". What are their issues, objectives, constraints and difficulties? What contribution do they expect and in what form (resources, information, etc.)? What do we want to achieve together? How can the different teams work better together?" .
Some companies have become aware of this challenge and have strengthened their cross-disciplinary approaches.
For example, by creating pairs between managers of different entities or communities The aim is to provide a forum for local management to discuss transformation issues, led by sponsors who are members of executive committees.
These approaches aim to strengthen theoperational efficiency and serve objectives the company's short- and medium-term objectives.
In a period of high tension, they also provide managers with moral and technical support by ensuring that they have a sound basis for their work. climate of solidarity essential to maintain their resilience.
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