Cross-Functional Project Team

The Presenting Issue:

The head of Project Management Office struggled to pull together interdependent functions of a banking business due to launch a new offering. I was asked to help create better connectivity and alignment to the shared task, over and above their day jobs.

What we did:

After an initial analysis, I noted that there were many competing agendas at play across legal, compliance, sales, marketing and research functions, causing friction and inefficiency to meet tight deadlines. It was clear that the purely cognitive approach wouldn't be enough to shift entrenched behaviours and long-held mistrusting mindsets as launch was imminent and they had to keep momentum on BAU.

To level the playing field and fast-track trust amongst the interdependent players, we simulated the conditions they encounter at work in a professional kitchen where they were tasked to work together to design and bake (!) a multi-tiered cake that reflected their purpose, fulfilled their shared values and also tasted fantastic.

Outcome:

The group did a phenomenal job from idea inception to delegation of tasks and ultimately baking the cake in a tight timeframe and high pressure conditions. They were immensely proud of what they were able to achieve together. We then de-briefed the experience to learn what made it work well and what made it difficult, relating the lessons back to the office environment. The product launched quicker and more seamlessly than any previous project had done in the previous 3 years.