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CROSS FUNCTIONAL TEAMS
AND X TEAMS
Cross functional teams are made up of members who bring different
experiences, values and skills. This means they each bring a different
perspective, different ideas and different approaches to a problem. They also have a
wide sphere of influence as they each bring different connections.
Membership is fluid and they share decision making. They aren’t directed or told
what to do, instead their path forwards flexes according to the situation.
X Teams
Deborah Ancona
Ancona suggests that alongside the skills and practices of traditional teams, the
most successful teams do something different. She believes that the most
successful teams are the ones that also have eXternal focus. These are X-Teams.
The X Teams Core Features
External Activity: Making sense of and using the external environment.
Expandable Tiers: Different types of team member have different roles.
Flexible Membership: Team membership changes all of the time and members
take on different types of team role.
Extensive Ties: The members of the ream are well connected both in and out of
the organisation.
Mechanisms for execution: The techniques and skills X Teams use in order to
keep the external world within reach.
Basic Functions: Explore, Execute, Exploit. Making ideas reality.
(http://sloanereview.mit.edu/files/2002/04/4333-s2.jpg)
Further Resources
You can watch this short video featuring Deborah Ancona explaining X Teams. Courtesy of Kantola Training Solutions.