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Track Talk F3

Cross-Dysfunctional Teams: Where The Magic Stops

Phil Royston

09:00 - 09:45 BST Friday 6th June

Does working in your team feel a little like magic? If so, you might be in a truly cross-functional team. If not, your team could be dysfunctional. But how do you know? To answer this, we need to understand what cross-functional teams are, how they work, and why we need them.

Cross-functional teams are the cornerstone of Agile software development. Although they are not explicitly mentioned in the 2001 Manifesto for Agile Software Development, they are foundational in both Scrum and Extreme Programming (XP), which predate it. The concept actually originated in manufacturing product development. Since the 1990s, cross-functional teams have been the mainstay of innovative organizations in many industries. They are everywhere, not just in software development.

If you fear your team might be dysfunctional, you are not alone. A frequently quoted Harvard Business Review article from 2015 reported that 75% of cross-functional teams were dysfunctional.

So, why do we need cross-functional teams? Why not stick with the approach of having a few experts telling everyone what to do? In my talk, I’ll explain why cross-functional teams work best in today’s complex, unpredictably changing world. They collaborate across disciplines, solve problems efficiently, and learn continuously.  I’ll also explain how cross-functional teams function by describing their key characteristics and behaviours. Understanding what makes a team truly cross-functional helps us recognise the dysfunction when we see.

What causes team dysfunction? Many blame poor leadership, which could make you feel trapped – if the bosses don’t change their mindset, there’s no escape. But it’s not just a leadership problem. Our own behaviours, and those of our teammates, often contribute to dysfunction. By recognizing and changing our own behaviours, we can positively influence the entire team dynamic.

As the team will begin to see and feel the benefits of a cross-functional way of working, and if it “”makes some noise”” with demonstrable results, then the bosses may take notice and get on board. It might be hard to believe, but it does happen. This session will provide you with context and tools to begin making that change.

What you will learn

  1. Be able to identify and start to address dysfunctions within your team.
  2. Set goals and build strong motivation to improve collaboration and team dynamic.
  3. Practical steps to improve team dynamics and effectiveness, regardless of your role.

Session Details

  • Introductory
  • 45 minutes
  • Includes 15 mins Q&A
  • Managing system-wide interactions
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Check out this video from Phil Royston to hear more about his talk, ‘Cross-Dysfunctional Teams: Where the Magic Stops’.

We look forward to welcoming you to EuroSTAR 2025.

Session Speaker

Phil Royston EuroSTAR 2025 Speaker

Phil Royston

Tesena, Czech Republic

Having wandered reluctantly into IT about 30 years ago, my first contact with formal testing came unexpectedly in 2002, when I was made the Test Manager on a project. It was then that I felt that I had found my true calling.

I became the go-to person they called when there was a “problem in testing”. But after a few years of fire-fighting troubled projects, I began to wonder if there wasn’t a better way. This first led me first to start a testing company 11 years ago and eventually sparked my current fascination with quality engineering and self-organization.

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