What Dungeons & Dragons Taught Me About Cross-Functional Teams

Yes, I play Dungeons & Dragons. Or, I should say, I did. It’s been a long time since I’ve had the privilege of rolling those dice, but not so long that I’ve forgotten a core principle of the game: the most successful campaigns are predicated on a diverse coalition of backgrounds and skill-sets, whereby the strengths of each character directly compliment the skills of the others. Sorcerers are the unparalleled masters of arcane magic, but when it comes to melee combat, they better hope they have a good fighter at their back.

The same philosophy goes for Project Management, where the power of cross-functional teams can’t be overstated. A marketing professional is often the missing perspective a web design team needs to complete a user interface, while many a content creator can benefit from corresponding with a customer service agent, who can help them get to the heart of the user experience and translate customer testimonials into effective written copy.

In short, compiling diverse skill sets and perspectives can lead to innovative solutions and improved project outcomes, while encouraging collaboration between departments fosters knowledge sharing and sparks creativity.

What are your best practices for fostering cross-functional collaboration? Or would you rather just talk D & D? I’m here for that too!