Why Cross-Functional Collaboration Fails at Senior Level and What Executive Teams Can Do About It
- Zoe Lewis
- 14 hours ago
- 2 min read
We’ve likely all experienced this, when collaboration breaks down across functions, the usual advice is to “communicate better” or “build stronger relationships.” But senior leaders know it is rarely that simple.
In a recent LinkedIn poll, we asked which issues were having the biggest impact on executive team performance. Nearly one third, 30 percent, said cross-functional collaboration was their top concern.
This is something we explore in our executive team coaching sessions, and what we’ve seen is this: Teams are not failing because of a lack of goodwill. They are failing because of unspoken misalignment.
Cross-functional issues are rarely about personality
Senior leaders are usually committed to delivering results and building good working relationships. But when collaboration gets stuck, it’s often due to deeper structural or cultural issues:
Lack of clarity on who decides what
Decision rights are unclear or overlapping. People hold back because they’re not sure if they’re the right person to act, or because they don’t want to step on toes.
Competing KPIs or priorities
One function’s success metric clashes with another’s. Progress in one area can look like resistance in another. Without a shared picture of success, alignment slips.
Fear of naming tension
When cross-functional friction arises, it often goes unspoken. Leaders hesitate to raise concerns because they want to protect relationships or avoid appearing difficult.
All of this creates friction. Collaboration slows, trust dips and performance suffers.
Practical questions asked in executive team coaching
When we work with leadership teams, we often start by creating space for better questions.
Where are we unintentionally misaligned?
This helps teams explore the gap between assumptions and reality. Even when intentions are good, people may be moving in different directions. Bringing that to light is the first step to realigning.
Where are we duplicating effort or working at cross-purposes?
This prompt encourages leaders to pause and look for overlap, tension or unspoken competition. Identifying these areas can free up energy and improve pace.
Where is progress slowing because no one wants to take the hit?
In many teams, sensitive decisions or difficult trade-offs get delayed. Asking this helps uncover where avoidance is quietly holding things back.
These questions are simple, but powerful. They do not point fingers they help teams think clearly and act with purpose.
A note for leaders
If you are supporting senior teams who are struggling with collaboration, try introducing just one of these questions into a leadership meeting or offsite. You might be surprised at how quickly the conversation shifts.
Cross-functional performance is not about everyone getting on. It is about working in a way that is clear, aligned and sustainable.
When leaders learn to name what is unspoken, explore misalignment without blame and focus on shared outcomes, collaboration improves and so does performance.
