Driving organizational efficiency & creating new opportunity via cross-functional relationships
The Challenge
Many initiatives spanned several key focus areas
Most large organizations struggle with the negative effects of silos: high cost of duplicated efforts, communication barriers that hamper efficient progress, & missed opportunity.
As Global Experience Design & Strategy Lead, one of my priorities was to accelerate strategic growth & alignment through cross-functional collaboration.
My Approach
Build relationships across departments & functions
We get a lot done when we work together
I proactively requested meetings with leaders & key SMEs from different regions with two goals: to showcase my team’s capabilities & successful outcomes & to learn about their key initiatives so we could ID opportunities for collaboration.
Provide cross-functional consultation & support
We created concepts, pitches, & Art of the Possible narratives to support RFPs, sales pursuits, & new business development within existing accounts. We’d partner with our colleagues “across the aisles” to understand client needs & our technical capabilities to create prototypes, videos, & presentations to accompany pitches & proposals.
Establish efficient cross-departmental resourcing pipeline
A previous restructuring split our original experience design & strategy team across several departments & verticals. I established an open line of communication with the Customer Business Executives & resource managers where other members of our craft sat to streamline & speed resource loans & project staffing.
Results
Established new workstreams in existing client accounts by introducing experience-led services into traditionally engineering-led engagements.
Sped project resourcing & shortened bench time, increasing billable time for engagements & saving team members from RIF lists.