Effective cross-team collaboration with Adobe Express: Tips and techniques for your UK business.

Summary/Overview

“Teamwork makes the dream work” – the old saying still rings true today for businesses of any size. Whether you’re creating a cohesive brand identity or mapping out a customer journey, team collaboration is everything. But how can you manage multiple spinning plates at once?

In this guide, we explore what cross-team collaboration is, its benefits, and how to implement it in businesses large and small. Get your organisation up to speed with streamlined workflow tools, brand kits, live projects and more from Adobe Express for Enterprise.

Try Adobe Express for free now

What is cross-team collaboration?

Cross-team collaboration, also known as cross-functional team collaboration, refers to different teams in the same organisation working together to achieve a common goal.

Most tasks and projects require multiple perspectives and creative voices to succeed. You may be able to build a website on your own, but you’ll need a quality assurance team to check for bugs before launch. Similarly, it takes more than a marketing team to launch a new ad campaign.

That’s where cross-team collaboration comes in. Combining the skills and talents of each department can build a better, more synergised team to facilitate business success.

What are the benefits of team collaboration?

Cross-functional team collaboration has become a popular solution for common business hurdles. Better communication is just the tip of the iceberg. Let’s take a look at some other benefits:

• Reduces friction between teams. Effective team collaboration can break down communication barriers and other common blockers, helping to promote shared information and knowledge.
• Streamlines internal processes. Leveraging each department’s unique strengths can reduce the number of siloed teams, encourage streamlined workflows and accomplish tasks more efficiently.
• Maintains a consistent brand identity. Aligning the brand’s vision across all departments can create a shared understanding of its core values and long-term goals. This can help to maintain a consistent brand identity.
• Creates a shared responsibility. Cross-team collaboration can inject a sense of shared responsibility among departments who strive for the same desired outcome. Every member in a collaborative team understands the value of their contribution.
• Boosts team productivity and performance. Teams with a common vision are more likely to engage with their respective tasks, which can facilitate productivity and boost their dedication and performance.

See how Adobe Express works. Edit a free business template now.

6 ways to improve team communication and collaboration.

Cross-team collaboration sounds great in theory, but how does it work in practice? It won’t happen overnight, but there are some useful steps you can take to achieve good team collaboration in your business.

Strengthen your leadership expertise.

All successful teams need a leader (or two). Assign a member of each department to manage and oversee their team’s collaborative efforts. From there, you can train them in the necessary tools and techniques to enhance cross-team collaboration. Once they’re fully clued up, they can share this knowledge with their respective departments.

Divvy up team responsibilities.

What’s collaboration and teamwork without a common goal? Whether you’re working on an Instagram ad or marketing video, you should define each team’s responsibilities so everyone’s on the same page. Tying these goals back to each team’s key performance indicators (KPIs)can ensure transparency and get projects completed on time.

Leverage team collaboration tools effectively.

Remember those leaders you assigned? It’s time to put their learning into action. Using online team collaboration tools allows departments to connect, assign tasks, share files and track project progress. Adobe Express tools make it easier for businesses and enterprises to maintain team communication, streamline processes and manage workflows more effectively.

Choose a single communication method.

Communication is a golden pillar of cross-functional team collaboration. Nurturing a space for conversations on your chosen software can allow transparency across teams and encourage unity for projects. Consider using the appropriate tools to host one-to-ones, build unique channels and arrange regular team video chats.

Encourage knowledge sharing and learning.

It isn’t just managers and department leaders who have all the wisdom. For effective team collaboration, train employees in different departments. This can help them understand their value in other teams’ projects and how their work impacts others. Brainstorming sessions together can also encourage more diverse and innovative ideas.

Set up regular check-ins and feedback.

Cross-team collaboration systems are also handy for ongoing communication. Have managers and department leaders meet regularly to discuss progress and concerns. They can also set up specific channels to offer and receive feedback from team members across the company. This can prevent project snags and keep workflows running smoothly.

Explore Adobe Express in action. Customise a free business template today.

Make the most of team collaboration tools from Adobe Express.

Whatever your business, the importance of team collaboration can’t be overstated. Manage your projects with professional collaboration tools on Adobe Express to help get your tasks over the line to completion.

Share a template with controlled permissions.

Creating an infographic or business logo? You can easily share your design with other team members with restrictions on what they can edit in place. That way, collaborators can view the template while keeping brand style settings locked.

Invite collaborators to projects.

Invite the relevant team members to collaborative design projects such as a company brochure or social media banner. Enter the collaborator’s email address and they can view any personalised messages, instructions or updates. Depending on permission settings, they can also edit or comment in real time.

Share brands with collaborators.

Sharing brand kits across teams is especially useful when sending out marketing materials or rebranding your business. In the Brands panel, select the brand you want to share and invite collaborators via email. From the dropdown, choose whether they can edit or view.

They can then start to apply the Brand fonts, colours and assets to any additional designs they might need to create for their own platforms and marketing channels.

Comment on shared files.

Communicate your ideas from team to team effectively through the comments tool. For posters and other design projects, use the Comments panel to tag team members, share feedback and more. You can also pin a comment to a certain spot on the file, so it’s always top of mind.

Try Adobe Express for free now

Useful things to know.

What is an example of cross-functional team collaboration?

A social media team and a content creation team publishing engaging social media posts to promote a company’s brand and/or product is an example of cross-functional team collaboration. Both teams bring unique insights and skills to the creative aspects of the campaign from start to finish.

What are the 3 Cs of teamwork?

The three Cs of teamwork are communication, collaboration and coordination. These are the foundations of successful cross-functional teams, and typically involve a variety of skills, perspectives and expertise to reach a shared goal. The three Cs help to overcome challenges and maximise a business’ success rate.

How do you encourage more team collaboration?

Using a single shared tool is an effective way to encourage cross-team collaboration. This can function as a centralised hub for communication, collaboration and coordination, ensuring everyone is on the same page. Create live projects, integrate brand assets, manage workflows and more with Adobe Express for Businesses and Enterprises.

Explore more related posts.