Techniques for Encouraging Cross-Training

This week, I facilitated a manager workshop on how to grow and develop people and teams. One question sparked a great conversation: “How do you develop your people outside of formal programs?” It’s a great question. IMO, one of the highest leverage actions a leader can take is making small, but consistent actions to develop their people. While formal learning experiences absolutely a role, there are far more opportunities for growth outside of structured settings from an hours in the day perspective. Helping leaders recognize and embrace this is a major opportunity. I introduced the idea of Practices of Development (PODs) aka small, intentional activities integrated into everyday work that help employees build skills, flex new muscles, and increase their impact. Here are a few examples we discussed: 🌟 Paired Programming: Borrowed from software engineering, this involves pairing an employee with a peer to take on a new task—helping them ramp up quickly, cross-train, or learn by doing. 🌟 Learning Logs: Have team members track what they’re working on, learning, and questioning to encourage reflection. 🌟 Bullpen Sessions: Bring similar roles together for feedback, idea sharing, and collaborative problem-solving, where everyone both A) shares a deliverable they are working on, and B) gets feedback and suggestions for improvement 🌟 Each 1 Teach 1:  Give everyone a chance to teach one work-related skill or insight to the team. 🌟 I Do, We Do, You Do:Adapted from education, this scaffolding approach lets you model a task, then do it together, then hand it off. A simple and effective way to build confidence and skill. 🌟 Back Pocket Ideas:  During strategy/scoping work sessions, ask employees to submit ideas for initiatives tied to a customer problem or personal interest. Select the strongest ones and incorporate them into their role. These are a few examples that have worked well. If you’ve found creative ways to build development opportunities into your employees day to day work, I’d love to hear what’s worked for you!

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 🌐 Feeling like your team is stuck in their silos with a narrow focus on their specific roles? You’re not alone. When employees are confined to their functional areas, it limits their understanding of the broader business landscape. This can lead to poor collaboration, missed opportunities for innovation, and an overall lack of strategic alignment within the organization. Here’s a roadmap to implement effective cross-functional training and break down those barriers: 📌 Develop a Comprehensive Training Plan: Start by identifying key areas where cross-functional knowledge is essential. Create a structured plan that includes job rotations, shadowing, and inter-departmental projects. This helps employees gain firsthand experience in different roles and understand how various functions contribute to the organization's goals. 📌 Foster a Culture of Learning: Encourage a mindset where continuous learning and curiosity are valued. Promote the benefits of cross-functional training through internal communications, success stories, and by recognizing employees who embrace these opportunities. 📌 Utilize Collaborative Tools: Implement project management and collaboration tools that facilitate cross-functional communication. Platforms like Microsoft Teams, Asana, or Trello can help teams from different departments work together seamlessly on shared projects, promoting a culture of cooperation and teamwork. 📌 Schedule Regular Inter-Departmental Meetings: Organize regular meetings where different departments can present their work, challenges, and achievements. This fosters transparency and provides a platform for employees to learn about other areas of the business, ask questions, and share insights. 📌 Launch Cross-Functional Workshops and Training Sessions: Host workshops and training sessions that focus on cross-functional skills and knowledge. Topics can range from understanding financial metrics to learning about marketing strategies or supply chain management. This broadens employees’ skill sets and enhances their ability to contribute to diverse areas of the business. 📌 Measure and Adjust: Continuously assess the impact of cross-functional training through feedback, performance metrics, and employee surveys. Use this data to refine your training programs and ensure they meet the evolving needs of your organization. Implementing cross-functional training can significantly enhance collaboration and innovation, giving employees a broader perspective of the business. This leads to a more agile and cohesive organization, ready to tackle challenges and seize opportunities. Got other strategies for effective cross-functional training? Share your experiences below! #CrossFunctionalTraining #Collaboration #Innovation #LearningAndDevelopment #BusinessGrowth #Teamwork

skill drain is painful, cross-training is the cure. so many people get this wrong. Imagine THIS: Your copywriter suddenly "gets" SEO, Your designer "speaks" data, Your sales team finally understands marketing ROI... That's the POWER of cross-training. Most companies leave talent untapped Here’s what that kills: - missed opps: Siloed teams can't connect the dots, & innovative solutions hide. - boredom: Repetitive tasks suck motivation. - fragility: What happens when your only "expert" is sick? I've seen remote marketing teams TRANSFORM into creative powerhouses with one simple change: structured cross-functional projects. How? With 3 Simple keys: Shadowing Sessions: Pair "experts" with learners. SOP Creation: Turn tribal knowledge into shareable systems. Task Rotation: Give everyone a taste of something new. This isn't just theory. (NAME changed, but story true here) Leslie (from Italy) joined my team with zero CRM experience. By pairing her with Charlie (from Romania), the team quickly integrated her into the CRM world, which led to better campaign data on GoHighLevel and her personal growth. That’s the transformative power C-Suite teams should embrace... Jason, my previous CEO took me to board meetings, took me to product customer success calls, had me listen to sales meetings. The impact? I grew too. It works for interns, mid managers and when I was VP of Marketing. Who am I? Peter Murphy Lewis and I help CEOs unlock their remote team's potential with strategic skill-building. #TeamBuilding #RemoteWork #Leadership #Growth #Culture