299: How to get better at collaborating with cross-functional partners

This episode is sponsored by Playbook, which is a collaborative platform for creatives to store, organize, and share their work. It features AI-powered search and integrates seamlessly with design tools, making it a great space to manage all your files and projects. Join the "30 Days of 30 Projects" Challenge with Playbook to elevate your creative skills and unlock your full potential! Charli and Femke explore the challenges and best practices in cross-functional collaboration, including navigating role overlaps, planning for future initiatives, understanding how other teams work, leading effective meetings, and how cross-functional feedback fits into performance reviews. Timestamps: 0:33 Episode introduction 1:20 Playbook sponsorship 3:36 Cross-functional collaboration: who are your daily collaborators, and what roles do they play in your projects? 5:37 Navigating overlapping responsibilities: how to understand roles across disciplines 7:34 Charlie’s planning for 2025 13:38 Successful cross-functional partnerships: key elements for building strong relationships 17:06 Building context on other teams: how to start understanding their roles and processes 20:33 Approaching cross-functional meetings 24:22 The role of cross-functional feedback in performance reviews: is it valued differently than feedback from your own discipline? 27:24 Homework for listeners 28:12 Special live event announcement Links: Big thanks to our sponsor for this episode, Playbook! Be sure to check them out and see how they can elevate your workflow Sign up for Charli and Femke's live event on November 1st at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm CET Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers” Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]