The Power Of Cross-Disciplinary Problem-Solving And Collaboration

Thai Son Nguyen is a CEO and cofounder who has spent the last 16 years building a world-class e-commerce service provider through SmartOSC.

We’re at the halfway mark for the year, which means, at this moment in time, our teams find themselves reflecting on the past six months so that they can gain fresh perspectives for moving forward. Through this reflection, we have noticed a recurring topic come up in conversations with our teams, clients, partners and podcast guests all from different parts of the globe: the value of cross-disciplinary learning and collaboration.

As the world continues to evolve at a rapid rate, roles continue to transform, and customer expectations rise, embracing the idea that organizations can be environments for learning is vital for improving our ability to solve the complex problems that we will face. By championing cross-disciplinary learning and collaboration, leaders can set the stage for their businesses to not only survive but to thrive in an ever-evolving world where adaptability is a prominent skill.

Why now?

According to a 2021 Microsoft study, there was a reported 25% decrease in cross-functional collaboration during the pandemic, while at the same time, interactions within stronger tie groups became more frequent, resulting in less time being spent collaborating with wider teams. As more and more teams work within hybrid models, it is more important than ever not to get stuck within the mindset that teams should be of one discipline alone. In short, don’t try to solve any problem from the comfort of silos. There is value to be found in shaking up the status quo and merging teams for cross-learning opportunities and allowing team members to understand and have an awareness of the value that it can bring.

As businesses continue to evolve and adapt to new technologies and emerging market demands, it has also become clear that a single-discipline way of thinking is no longer sustainable. The problems that we face are interdisciplinary by nature, so it makes sense for us to approach them in the same way.

For World Health Day, our company explored the topic of AI technology within the healthcare sector. In a three-part mini-podcast series, we spoke to doctors around the world to understand how technology was integrating with their organizations. We asked a physician, now-MedTech consultant Avneesh Khare, what one thing he wished he’d known sooner in his career. His response focused on the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and learning from people outside the industry. “I realized this when I started exploring artificial intelligence, and I realized that as healthcare becomes more complex, it’s really essential to work with experts from other disciplines like engineering, technology and computer science to be able to provide better and comprehensive care for patients to improve their outcomes.”

The same can be said of other industries—whether you work in e-commerce like I do or some other field. Cross-disciplinary problem-solving and collaboration are something all leaders should be focused on currently.

How can leaders foster cross-disciplinary collaboration?

Firstly, be open to exploring the benefits of shifting from traditional office structures where specialized teams stay in their own lanes. This can seem easier said than done, but without having to spend months rearranging your office structure, the seed of this can be planted through shifting mindsets and creating awareness of the benefits of cross-learning through team projects, campaigns and more.

This isn’t a new idea. Some of the world’s biggest brands have practiced this in some way for decades. For instance, in the 1980s, General Electric gained fame for their revolutionary methodology for reducing bureaucracy, which they called the Work-Out system. This system aimed to overcome the barriers of job ranks, function and culture to foster “boundaryless” behavior to solve problems, improve product offerings, partnerships and find innovative ways to do business.

First used to reduce meetings, reports and the number of approvals needed to make a decision, this practice was conducted in four simple steps, which still stand the test of time.

1. Bring together the people who know the issues best.

2. Challenge them to develop creative solutions.

3. Make yes or no decisions on the solutions immediately in a public forum.

4. Empower people to carry out the solutions.

Years later, the core of this system has been used in new ways with global giants such as Amazon, Apple, Netflix and more. To spark innovation, Amazon has a Two-Pizza Teams philosophy that encourages small, diverse and autonomous teams to use their varied skill sets and expertise to work together on specific projects. As noted by Tom Godden, Enterprise Strategist at AWS, “To truly become a high-performing agile organization, you must look at your organization structure differently and be willing to change your mindset and behavior.”

Similarly, companies like Google follow a ”non-zero-sum” approach to management which allows for the lines of communication to run from all directions instead of being fixed to reporting relationships within a team’s hierarchy. This takes away a hierarchical mindset and creates space to cross-pollinate ideas, make decisions faster and harness more creativity and innovation.

Whether it’s through shifting mindsets, adopting proven methodologies or following in the footsteps of industry giants, it is possible and necessary for organizations to create a culture of continuous learning and collaboration so that they can break down the barriers to success to move forward. We need interdisciplinary approaches to the problems of today, so let’s work together to challenge traditional structures and ways of thinking to unlock and shape a better tomorrow.

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