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When you’re Top, the person responsible for making a project, team, division or company function effectively – you face the complexity of seeing the individual parts that make up the whole, as well as seeing the whole, and communicating that picture in a clear and compelling way.

While others may tend to be in siloed in focus and primarily concerned about their specific slice of the pie, you have the job of setting and holding the vision, oversight and monitoring the work of the individual components and providing guidance to insure that the contribution of
each component aligns with the direction of the whole.

If it’s not a practice, at the start of your next cross-functional project, bring the big team together. While you may think a meeting of all key contributors is costly, ultimately, it will save tensions and wandering in the wilderness, which adds up to time and money. Early discussions with the total team facilitate clarity and alignment, enabling individuals and the group to understand their part and how it links to the whole.