Let’s say you’re a designer. Once your team provides their requirements, you come up with an idea and try to finish the design within the deadline. The job is done.
Now, let’s say you’re a product marketer and have a feature to launch. Here’s the list of things you would do:
Set up recurring meetings with the product manager to understand the feature and its updates
Connect with the analyst team to conduct market research
Check the web dev group for any product bugs that delay the launch
Collaborate with design, video and social media teams to get the creatives ready
A common theme you would notice above is every task involves collaboration with another team. Which is why you need to collaborate to get things done effectively. But, it’s easier said than done because other teams would be busy with their tasks.
Some might take time to reply. Some might work on a different floor. Some might live in a different time zone. Some might route you to a different person. All these coupled with back and forth cause delay, and if you’re not careful, you will end up spending half of your day following up.
So, how to work with multiple teams and get things done on time?
When you start working with any team, find out the point of contact responsible for helping with your task. It gives you an idea of whom to approach every time rather than someone different.
If you want to bring together people belonging to different teams, try setting up a meeting. If it’s not working out, create a separate group, and ask your questions.
If a person replies to your DMs, well and good. If they take days to respond or don’t respond at all, ask your question in the respective workgroup tagging them. You will get a faster reply.
If you’re not getting timely replies in groups, start emailing them and cc your manager.
When you’re doing any of the above, be empathetic and friendly. Because everyone is dealing with their deadlines, and you need to respect that. Though you have all the right to try and get answers faster, the way you do it is the key.
And most importantly, when people from other teams ask your help for their task, make sure to provide timely support. They are sure to return your kindness.
Remember. When people don’t want to help you, this is what happens:
In my next article, you will find ways to understand your product well. This will help you effectively market it to the target audience.
Stay safe :)
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