People Over Product: A Better Way to Build Cross-Functional Alignment

[Saurabh Srivastava]

PoP Strategy: Prioritize human relations to foster emotional connections and empathy, easing the navigation of differences with greater ease and smoothness

Let’s be real as product designers, we confront a daily challenge: achieving cross-functional alignment

While we universally acknowledge the importance of efficient cross-functional collaboration for project success and organizational agility, there are instances in our careers where our creative thinking, working style, or problem-solving approach may not align with the cross-functional team's objectives. This misalignment can result in conflicts, disappointment, and stress.

Now, designers often find themselves in a dilemma — whether to exit from these projects and move to another or engage in conflicts regularly, leading to stress. The more significant question remains: can they ever entirely avoid such situations in their design careers or the corporate world in general?

The answer is NO, as product designers we will always find ourselves in situations where our creativity and business practicality will misalign

However, these questions primarily focus on how we can integrate ourselves into cross-functional teams and positively influence them. It’s about finding strategies to navigate differences, foster collaboration, and contribute to the success of cross-functional initiatives.

Navigating differences is a key aspect of effective collaboration. In this regard, I’ll delve into the PoP (People over Product) strategy, a strategic framework I’ve derived from a decade of experience. This tried-and-true approach has proven successful across multiple companies and offers insights into fostering harmonious working relationships despite differences.

Summary: Cross-functional work involves collaboration between teams from different departments within an organization. It is crucial for businesses to operate efficiently and achieve their goals. However, ineffective cross-functional work, without the right setup, can result in duplicative efforts, miscommunications, and missed business objectives. Efficient cross-functional collaboration is key to success for all businesses

Learn here what the PoP strategy is and how it can help you enhance your cross-functional alignment skills. Using this strategy will empower you to have control over your situation and navigate easily through any complex situation

What is the PoP (People over product) strategy?​

The PoP strategy, as the name suggests, prioritizes people and human relationships. It emphasizes connecting with others on a personal and emotional level before delving into project-related matters.

PoP strategy, or “People over Product” strategy, underscores the significance of human relationships in the success of any product. The primary focus is on establishing relationships initially. Strong connections not only enhance personal acceptance but also reduce the likelihood of conflicts. Personal connections encourage empathetic listening, emotional openness, and the creation of a conducive environment for discussions, thereby transforming potential conflicts into constructive conversations in cases of misalignment

Let’s explore how the PoP (People over Product) strategy helps overcome common challenges we faced while working cross-functionally

Common challenges of working cross-functionally (and how PoP strategy addresses it)​

Engaging in cross-functional collaboration offers advantages, yet it comes with its own set of challenges. Below are some issues you might face when working cross-functionally and potential solutions to address them.

1. Poor Communication:​

Engaging in cross-functional collaboration requires ongoing communication with individuals from different teams. Each team and individual tends to cultivate their distinct language and unique operational methods, posing a challenge to connect, influence, and communicate effectively if you don’t align with their specific work language.

PoP Strategy to Address This: In the initial planning phases, beyond creating a shared language and goals for seamless information sharing and storage (which is an ideal situation and hardly happens in reality), it’s crucial to foster personal connections through offline conversations before formal planning begins. This process cultivates empathy among individuals, allowing them to understand each other on a personal level before delving into project-level discussions. Establishing these personal connections preemptively helps eliminate potential miscommunications that may arise in the future when individuals from diverse backgrounds begin prioritizing work-related communication.

2. Excessive Documentation with No Central System of Record​

While collaborating with cross-functional teams, we frequently encounter a scenario where each team generates multiple documents to track their work. However, the absence of a centralized system of record often makes it challenging to maintain consistency. This results in wasted time spent tracking down information, miscommunication, unnecessary status updates, and blame games during later stages of product development.

PoP Strategy to Address This: The straightforward solution involves utilizing a task management tool to establish a centralized hub where all project-related information resides. However, due to the laborious task of keeping this hub updated with the latest work, we have all experienced instances where updates are missed, leading to time wastage, finger-pointing, and eventual impacts on product development. The PoP strategy leverages personal relationships, providing a means to address missed updates offline on a personal level rather than resorting to formal escalation. Implementing the PoP strategy ensures a positive standing, with everyone empathizing with your situation, ultimately contributing to success.

3. Creative and Business Practicality Misalignment​

As product designers, we frequently find ourselves understaffed and spread thin across multiple teams. There’s a constant sense that more hands are needed to operate efficiently, considering that our role as creative individuals requires time for contemplation and execution. Each cross-functional team possesses distinct goals, priorities, and timelines. This complexity makes collaboration with cross-functional partners challenging, given each team’s unique priorities, including those of the design team. Consequently, we often encounter statements in our careers such as “Design is slowing down the process,” “We’re waiting on design,” or “Design is moving slowly.”

The ideal solution might involve hiring more designers or determining design work based on the available design headcount. However, this may not always be possible and we find ourselves pulled into multiple projects, each expecting exclusive dedication.

PoP Strategy to Address This: Resolving the mismatched priorities of different teams ideally requires intervention at the leadership level, but this is not always observed. The PoP strategy becomes instrumental in navigating these disparities. Leveraging personal working relationships grants easy access to communicate with cross-functional teams and align with their priorities. The PoP strategy aids in building trust and positions you as a formidable partner rather than merely a service provider.

4. Frequent Conflicts​

Being part of a cross-functional team often means collaborating with unfamiliar individuals. While effective communication is crucial, conflicts can arise when communication styles don’t align. This can lead to confusion, team issues, and, ultimately, hamper cross-functional work.

PoP Strategy to Address This: Many conflicts stem from miscommunication or differences in communication styles. Individual communication styles are strongly influenced by cultural backgrounds, potentially offending one person while pleasing another. Therefore, establishing a personal connection becomes essential, and the PoP strategy advocates for getting to know individuals on a personal level first. Understanding individuals personally provides insights into their perspectives, transforming initially offensive communication styles into a more acceptable norm. The PoP strategy encourages viewing conflicts as misalignments and, with the personal knowledge of everyone involved, promotes conflict avoidance and moves toward alignment.

• Prioritize Personal Relationships: Connect with others on a personal and emotional level before diving into work discussions.
• Enhance Communication: Foster empathy and understanding to improve communication, particularly when teams have diverse languages and operational methods.
• Centralize Information: Establish a centralized hub using task management tools for project information, but complement it with personal relationships to address missed updates.
• Align Team Priorities: Navigate differences in team priorities by building personal working relationships, which can provide easy access to align with cross-functional teams.
• Mitigate Conflicts: Know individuals on a personal level to understand communication styles and cultural influences, reducing the likelihood of conflicts and fostering alignment.
• Cultivate Trust: Build trust through personal connections, showcasing yourself as a strong partner rather than just a service provider.
• Navigate Differences: Leverage personal relationships to ease navigation through differences and align with cross-functional teams successfully.
• Implementing these strategies can enhance collaboration and contribute to the success of cross-functional initiatives.