Cross-functional

/krɔs ˈfʌŋkʃənəl/ adjective

Definition

Involving or requiring cooperation between different departments, disciplines, or areas of expertise within an organization. Cross-functional teams bring together people with diverse skills and perspectives to work on shared objectives.

Etymology

Combines 'cross' (from Old English 'cros' meaning intersection) with 'functional' (from Latin 'fungi' meaning to perform). This organizational concept emerged in the 1980s as companies moved away from rigid departmental silos toward more collaborative, integrated approaches to problem-solving.

Kelly Says

Cross-functional work is like creating a superhero team where each member has different powers - the magic happens when marketing's creativity meets engineering's precision meets finance's reality check! It breaks down the 'that's not my job' mentality that kills innovation.

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