The Challenge
In early 2023, I noticed something surprising about my team: we were doing great work individually, but struggling collectively. Product, design, and engineering were all sprinting ahead—but without shared clarity, our collaboration started to fray.
“You can’t force collaboration through process alone—it’s built through clarity and care.”
People were working hard but not always together. Priorities conflicted, decisions lingered, and tension built between functions. The result wasn’t a lack of talent—it was a lack of alignment.
Diagnosing the Problem
As a design leader, I knew I couldn’t fix collaboration by telling people to “collaborate more.” It needed structure, clarity, and a shared understanding of why things were breaking down.
I used my favorite strategy framework: Diagnosis → Principles → Actions.
Step 1: Listen First
I met 1:1 with each individual contributor across functions. I asked three simple questions:
1.Where do you see collaboration breaking down?
2.What helps you work best with others?
3.What’s one thing leadership could do to make teamwork easier?
When I anonymized the feedback, a clear pattern emerged:
-People didn’t understand the value of each other’s work.
-Decisions were happening without the right people in the room.
-Communication styles clashed—especially across time zones.
Step 2: Define Principles Together
Rather than dictate solutions, I asked the team to define principles that would make collaboration healthier. Their suggestions were simple but powerful:
- Designers should be part of strategic discussions, not just execution.
- Use a DACI framework (Driver, Approver, Contributor, Informed) for clarity on who owns what.
- No critical decisions after 2 p.m. PST—remote fatigue is real.
I loved that one so much we kept it.
Step 3: Align and Act
I brought the principles to my leadership peers. We agreed—and added one more rule:
“If it isn’t documented, it’s not a decision.”
We implemented the principles immediately. Each cross-functional lead committed to bringing their team into earlier conversations, documenting decisions, and acknowledging shared ownership.
The Results
The shift was immediate.
Meetings got shorter because alignment started earlier. Designers felt ownership, PMs had clearer partners, and engineers finally had the context they’d been missing. The 2 p.m. rule became a running joke—and a useful boundary.
As leaders, we changed too. We started celebrating collective wins instead of just functional ones. Transparency became our default; everything from decisions to drafts was shared across team leads.
The result wasn’t just smoother collaboration—it was renewed trust. People felt heard, supported, and respected.
The Lesson
You can’t force collaboration through process alone—it’s built through clarity and care. Clear roles, shared principles, and a little empathy go further than any new tool or meeting ever will.