Managing a cross organization team

What is Cross organizational team?

I work for Siemens Mobility in "Turnkey Projects Organization". In my project, we build a Tram system as complete transport solution. I am responsible to deliver this Tram turnkey project "TKP" as Turnkey Project Manager "TPM" and my team is cross organizational team, which means they come from different organizations - other than the turnkey - inside the mobility.

Due to the fact that building a tram system requires multiple integrated components, multiple organizations come together to achieve this project by manufacturing the tram, providing power & electrification system to operate the tram systems, establish the telecommunication systems, provide & manufacture the equipment needed to maintain the tram "Workshop Equipment" and provide a traffic system and control system for the tram. In meanwhile, building the associated control center, maintenance facilities and tram stations.

Each components of the above will pass through EPC "Engineering, procurement & Construction" process under separate entities called BU "business unit" which is responsible for each component and have their own teams, offices, management, financial targets and perspectives.

The representative of these BUs "PMs" come together under the umbrella of TKP and the TPM responsibility is to manage this cross organizational team and bring them together to achieve the BUs targets and the TKP targets.

How to manage a cross organization team:

1- Increase your awareness of self and tasks:

Managing team effectively is a process which requires patience, continuous learning and adaptation. The experience of managing large team starting by self management and self awareness, the manager must reflect on his behavior and try to see his actions through his team actions & feedback. Multiple questions need to be self asked as explained in chart below. Answering these questions will open new doors to learn about self management.

Pressure is an enemy which must be released progressively.

Afterward, Task and organization awareness are the second step. Putting things in right context make difference in final result. For example, managing engineers will be different from managing doctors or administration team, based on the task on hand and how the task is sensitive and relate to life and people safety. In addition, managing team in large multinational organization is absolutely different than small size organizations. The concept of management and the human behavior will remain same but the interaction with the governing system will differ. In addition, country rules will impact the way of managing the cross organizational team. To effectively manage the team then awareness and understanding of Task, organization and culture is a must.

2- Be assertive and cooperative:

Assertiveness is a very important quality. It is about clarifying the required targets and make the expectations clear . In meanwhile, listen to others objections and address. Assertiveness is not about imposing the manager ideas or have the final say.

Assertive manager share his view about the situations and be objective. However, some times he refuses answers which are not clear or not specific, but in same time give a space for others to re-think and re-adopt based on the situation

If assertiveness accompanied with cooperation, in most cases, will lead to a win solution. manager behavior in managing the discussion make difference in conclusion. In cooperation, manager will be willing to find middle ground and fit others in his plan.

3- Empower the team:

Each person recruited for a reason and this is what the manager need to highlight. Empowering the team means give them the enough space to act, interact and create their own solutions. Manager need to put their solution in the right context and not to abort them. In addition, explain to them how their work make difference for whole organization and how their acts will have impact. From the Janitor to the CEO , all has impact on the business if they do their work in right manner. Delegations comes after empowerment.

4- Manage the conflicts:

Conflict is good. avoiding conflict is bad.

The conflict is an integral part of our daily business life. In cross organizational team conflict is inevitable and must happen, how to run the conflict marks the difference between effective team and emotional team. emotional team and emotional manager lose the game.

below is summary advice how to run conflict:

5- Build Trust:

Trust is earned not given.

Earning the trust of the team is a process which built up on the basis of the manager actions. The manager must be an example for the whole team as possible as he could and do the followings:

6- Use L.A.T.E.R:

Using the LATER concept will help in any heated discussion between the team.

LATER stand for:

Listen: attentively listen to all team member, it is their right to speak up.

Accept: Accept that others will object you and accept that conflict will happen.

Think: Think before reply. this is not easy and take time to master.

Evaluate: after accepting and thinking, manager must evaluate the situation to take the proper action.

Reply: sometimes delayed reply is better than rushed one which might cause big damages. resist the temptations to shout or corner a colleague unless it is absolutely necessary.

Conclusion: