Why Functional Teams Can’t Do It Alone?
Ever been in a meeting where everyone agrees on paper but somehow no one’s on the same page? The product team is obsessing over timelines, marketing’s planning a campaign for a feature that doesn’t exist yet, and customer success? They’re on fire, again.
Welcome to silo life. I’ve been there, facilitating workshops where I’m basically a human translator between departments who apparently speak different dialects of “We Want the Same Thing.”
And here’s the truth: functional teams are not the problem. But thinking they can solve everything alone? Big mistake.
Image created by ChatGPT
Let’s break it down: What is a functional team?
Functional teams are built around skillsets: engineers with engineers, marketers with marketers, etc. They’re great at going deep in their own worlds. Like, really deep. Sometimes so deep, they forget there's a surface (or other teams) at all.
These teams can be super-efficient within their bubble. But the second something requires coordination, alignment, or (God forbid) shared ownership? That bubble pops, and suddenly everyone’s like, “Wait, what are you even working on?”
Now enter: Cross-functional teams. AKA: Your alignment lifesaver.
Cross-functional teams mix it up. Think product, design, marketing, ops, all in one squad, working together toward a shared goal.
Not just reporting to different places, but actually co-creating, co-deciding, and co-owning. Less "throw it over the wall" and more "let's figure this out side-by-side."
And no, it’s not always smooth. (Alignment isn’t a one-time post-it party.) But when it works? Magic.
Why I love cross-functional setups (even when they’re messy):
💬 Real talk between teams. I’ve seen designers have lightbulb moments just by hearing a customer support story. These little sparks? That’s where innovation lives.
🤝 Everyone sees the same big picture. No more “I didn’t know that was a priority!” moments. Because we make it a priority together.
🚀 Faster decisions, fewer delays. Instead of waiting three weeks for feedback through the org spaghetti, you get what you need in the room (or the Slack, or the Miro).
Okay but… why bother? Isn’t this messier?
Totally. In the short term, cross-functional teams can feel slower. People argue. Egos show up. Priorities clash. But that’s surface tension, not dysfunction. That’s exactly where real alignment is forged.
Here’s what I’ve seen over and over as a workshopper:
Misalignment slows teams down way more than healthy debate.
You can’t design great experiences if your team’s not having one.
Customers feel the silos. Always. And they don’t care if it’s “not your department.”
So what now?
Ask yourself:
Are we collaborating across functions or just coordinating after the fact?
Are we building shared understanding or just shared deadlines?
If your answer makes you sigh… it might be time to break the silos. And if you don’t know where to start? That’s where facilitation comes in.
(Hi. 👋 That’s me, Sila)