Out of Sync

When you're deep in the weeds of hardware testing, implementing new design upgrades, or debugging that one elusive bug, it's easy to assume that your primary job is to keep the technical engine running. However, Technical Leadership isn’t just about managing systems—it's about orchestrating people, priorities, and perspectives. One of the most overlooked (yet critical) productivity pitfalls? Neglecting cross-functional communication. Cross-functional communication is an essential part of everyone’s work journey. No "one" team gets things done by themselves, and Technical Leaders have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable by stepping outside of their functional silos to engage and help other teams, if they want to be successful. 

Technical Leaders often assume that if their team is moving fast and delivering, that’s enough. Yet, when communication with Product Management, Design Engineering, Supply Chain, Service, Manufacturing, and Executive Stakeholders breaks down, progress slows, trust erodes, and duplicated efforts run rampant. Without intentional alignment, even the best-engineered solutions can miss the mark, leaving the teams with low morale and high stress. For Mistake #3 of the Top 5 Productivity Mistakes Technical Leaders Make, we’ll explore why neglecting cross-functional communication leads to more silos, less innovation, and diminished impact. Remember, Leaders must facilitate connection, not just coordination to work in sync.

Take Jack*, an Engineering Director who was leading a high-performing Software Team, tasked with developing a new analytics dashboard. His Engineers were excited and dove in, building complex data workflows and a robust reporting engine, working late nights to deliver on time. However, Jack never looped in the Product Manager beyond the initial kickoff, assuming they were all still aligned. Three months later, at the first joint demo, jaws dropped. The Product Management and Design Engineering Teams had imagined a much simpler interface — one that prioritized speed and usability over raw data depth. Manufacturing had flagged integration challenges weeks ago that had not been addressed. And the VP of Engineering?!?! She thought they were building a different feature altogether. This failure to communicate cross-functionally led to the project being re-scoped, morale dipping, and despite everyone’s best effort, the launch was delayed.

So, what turned things around? One of the things I suggested to Jack, during a 1:1 Strategy Session, was to incorporate a 30-minute Weekly Stakeholder Alignment Huddle with Key Stakeholders and engage everyone using four simple prompts:

1. What’s happening in your world?

2. Where do you need support?

3. What are we not seeing?

4. How does our current path intersect with your processes, inputs, and deliverables?

A lot of Leaders get so bogged down in what they have going on that they miss key opportunities to engage with other teams. By incorporating a 30-Minute Weekly Stakeholder Alignment Huddle into your Management Operating System (MOS), you can improve knowledge transfer amongst teams, identify and mitigate risks sooner, and be proactive to pivots that may be needed in order to keep the project on track. This communicative ritual became a game-changer for Jack and the other Cross-Functional Team Leads. Miscommunications were caught early, support needs were identified quickly, and most importantly, the teams began to build trust and succeed, cross-functionally. 

Technical work doesn’t happen in a vacuum — it's interdependent, dynamic, and deeply collaborative. When Leaders prioritize coordination over connection, they miss the opportunity to create the kind of alignment that accelerates innovation, reduces friction, improves morale, and drives results. Remember, communication isn't a "nice to have" soft skill — it's a core strategic tool in your leadership toolkit that will truly make the difference between success and failure. A well-placed 30-minute alignment huddle can prevent weeks of rework, stressful interactions, and foster a culture of shared ownership and collaboration. As a Technical Leader, your ability to facilitate these conversations — not just attend them —will set you apart.

💡Struggling to align with Stakeholders and work more in sync? Book your Book a 1:1 Strategy Session with Dr. Cristi and learn how to build bridges across teams, lead with clarity, and consistently communicate.

Looking forward to working with you to #EngineerBetterLeaders! ✨

*Actual client whose name has been changed