How I learned to lead cross-functional teams in 5 steps
key lessons I learned along the way as a Product Marketing Director
As a Product Marketing Director in the dynamic mobile game industry, I’ve navigated the challenges of leading cross-functional teams to achieve our goals. Through trial and error, I’ve distilled key lessons that have helped me foster collaboration, innovation, and success. In this blog, I’ll share my insights, drawing on real-life examples from my experiences in the fast-paced world of mobile gaming.
Identify the problem and the goal
In the mobile game industry, staying ahead means constantly adapting to changing player preferences and market trends. When leading cross-functional teams, it’s essential to start by clearly identifying the problem we’re trying to solve and the goals we aim to achieve. For example, when launching a new game feature, our goal was to increase player engagement. By analyzing player feedback and market data, we identified areas for improvement and set measurable objectives.
Most common problems:
- Lack of Alignment on Priorities
In the fast-paced game industry, different teams may have conflicting priorities, leading to inefficiencies and missed opportunities. For example, the development team may prioritize adding new features, while the marketing team focuses on promoting existing ones.
To address this issue, the Product Marketing Director can facilitate regular alignment meetings involving representatives from each cross-functional team. During these meetings, teams can discuss their priorities, identify areas of overlap, and collaborate on creating a unified roadmap that aligns with the overall business objectives. Additionally, using project management tools and communication platforms can help keep everyone on the same page and track progress towards shared goals. - Communication Breakdowns
Poor communication between cross-functional teams can result in misunderstandings, delays, and frustration. For instance, the marketing team may not receive timely updates on new game features from the development team, leading to ineffective promotional campaigns.
To improve communication, the Product Marketing Director can implement regular check-ins, such as daily stand-up meetings or weekly status updates, where teams can share progress, raise concerns, and ask for support. Additionally, leveraging collaboration tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams can facilitate real-time communication and foster a culture of transparency and accountability across teams. - Siloed Workflows
In large organizations, cross-functional teams may operate in silos, with limited visibility into each other’s work and processes. For example, the design team may create assets for marketing campaigns without input from the development team, resulting in inconsistencies or delays in implementation.
To break down silos, the Product Marketing Director can encourage cross-functional collaboration by organizing interdisciplinary workshops, hackathons, or knowledge-sharing sessions. By bringing teams together to work on shared projects or brainstorm ideas, individuals can gain a deeper understanding of each other’s roles and workflows, leading to more cohesive and integrated solutions. - Resistance to Change
Introducing new processes, technologies, or strategies can sometimes meet resistance from cross-functional teams accustomed to existing ways of working. For example, transitioning to agile development practices may be met with skepticism from teams used to traditional waterfall methodologies.
To address resistance to change, the Product Marketing Director can take a proactive approach to change management by involving team members in the decision-making process and providing opportunities for training and upskilling. Additionally, highlighting the benefits of the proposed changes, such as increased efficiency, collaboration, and innovation, can help garner buy-in and support from across the organization. - Lack of Cross-Functional Understanding
Without a comprehensive understanding of each other’s roles, responsibilities, and perspectives, cross-functional teams may struggle to effectively collaborate and achieve shared goals. For instance, the development team may not fully grasp the marketing team’s objectives when designing game features.
To foster cross-functional understanding, the Product Marketing Director can facilitate cross-training sessions or job shadowing opportunities where team members can learn about each other’s roles firsthand. Encouraging open dialogue and empathy-building exercises can also help bridge the gap between teams and promote a culture of mutual respect and appreciation for each other’s contributions.
In one instance, our team noticed a decline in player retention after introducing a new update. By conducting player surveys and analyzing in-game metrics, we identified that the update had introduced a bug causing crashes on certain devices. Our goal became clear: to fix the bug and restore player satisfaction.
Build trust and rapport with your team members
Successful collaboration begins with trust and rapport among team members. As a leader, it’s crucial to cultivate an environment where team members feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their ideas. By fostering open communication and showing appreciation for their expertise, we can build a strong foundation for teamwork.
During a major game launch, tensions were running high as deadlines loomed. By organizing team-building activities and encouraging open dialogue, we fostered a supportive atmosphere where team members felt comfortable sharing their concerns and ideas. This trust and camaraderie helped us navigate challenges and deliver a successful launch.
Communicate clearly and effectively
Clear communication is the cornerstone of effective teamwork, especially in a fast-paced industry like mobile gaming. As a leader, it’s essential to ensure that everyone understands their roles, responsibilities, and expectations. Whether it’s through meetings, emails, or project management tools, keeping communication channels open and transparent is key.
During a live event campaign, our team encountered unforeseen technical issues that threatened to derail the entire project. By promptly communicating the situation to all stakeholders, including developers, marketers, and executives, we were able to coordinate a swift response and mitigate the impact on our players.
Empower your team to collaborate and innovate
Innovation thrives in an environment where team members are empowered to share their ideas and experiment with new approaches. As a leader, it’s important to create opportunities for collaboration and provide support for creative thinking. By fostering a culture of innovation, we can unlock the full potential of our teams and drive continuous improvement.
When brainstorming ideas for a new game feature, we encouraged cross-functional collaboration between designers, developers, and marketers. By hosting ideation sessions and design sprints, we generated a wide range of innovative concepts and ultimately implemented a feature that received positive feedback from players.
Celebrate successes and learn from failures
In the ever-evolving mobile game industry, both successes and failures provide valuable learning opportunities. As a leader, it’s important to celebrate achievements and recognize the hard work of your team members. At the same time, it’s equally important to reflect on failures, identify lessons learned, and use them to inform future decisions.
After successfully launching a highly anticipated game update, we organized a team celebration to recognize everyone’s contributions and milestones achieved. Additionally, we conducted a post-mortem analysis to identify areas for improvement and ensure that we continued to iterate and innovate in future updates.
Leading cross-functional teams in the mobile game industry requires a combination of strategic thinking, effective communication, and a willingness to learn and adapt. By following these five steps — identifying the problem and the goal, building trust and rapport, communicating clearly, empowering collaboration and innovation, and celebrating successes while learning from failures — we can navigate the complexities of our industry and drive meaningful impact for our players and our team.
