"Responding to complex challenges often requires joint operations between multiple teams of experts. But effective collaboration between teams with different cultures, incentives, and ways of working does not happen by accident. Under pressure, inter-team friction can easily derail coordination, fragment effort, and create anti-synergy, situations where two plus two effectively equals negative three. High-performing organizations understand this risk and work proactively to build and maintain strong relationships between teams."
"Team A is the team we are part of and the one responsible for a critical operation. Teams B and C are other expert teams that Team A depends on to get the job done. In a hospital, Team A might be an intensive care unit working with neurology and trauma teams to care for a motorcycle crash patient. In a corporate setting, Team A might be an engineering group collaborating with marketing and manufacturing to bring a new product to market."
Effective responses to complex challenges require joint operations among multiple specialist teams. Collaboration does not occur automatically when teams have different cultures, incentives, and working methods. Under pressure, inter-team friction can derail coordination, fragment effort, and create anti-synergy where combined work reduces overall outcomes. High-performing organizations and individuals proactively build and maintain strong inter-team relationships. Historical interactions and the narratives teams tell one another shape trust, friction, and future performance. Direct interfaces, indirect interactions, and ambassador roles all influence collaboration. Practical attention to how teams present themselves and manage histories improves coordination in hospitals, engineering, manufacturing, and other complex environments.
#inter-team-collaboration #trust-and-friction #cross-functional-coordination #organizational-culture
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