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Discusses the benefits of cross-functional teams and the importance of effective communication in such teams
Shows how the articles in this issue provide insights into the communication challenges facing teams in today's workplace
We are pleased to bring you this joint issue of Technical communication and IEEE transactions on professional communication on communication in cross-functional teams.
This special issue is a result of a collaborative effort between two leading organizations in the field of technical communication-the Society for Technical Communication and the IEEE Professional Communication Society. The topic of the special issue seems particularly appropriate given the nature of this joint venture.
Bringing about this issue was itself an exercise in collaboration similar to the tasks many cross-functional teams work on daily. Although the participants in the process may not fit the precise definition of a cross-functional team, each brought a different background, expertise, experiences, and views to the process-the guest editors, each journal's respective editor, the authors, and a number of anonymous peer reviewers.
The essence of effective teamwork is to create a product through a collective effort that exceeds the quality of any individual endeavor. Certainly, this issue's quality exceeds anything that any of the individuals involved could have done singly. But through the process of producing this issue, we faced many of the same problems teams encounter: tight deadlines, technological challenges, and the merging of two journals' processes and responsibilities, not to mention different styles and audiences. In addition, we had limited experience working with one another. The journals' regular editors knew us when they invited us to be guest editors, but we had never met or worked with one another. Electronically, through e-mail correspondence and through a few phone conversations, we quickly developed a working relationship and found ways to divide responsibilities, share the workload, mitigate differences of opinion, and reach consensus.
Coordinating the special issue itself included a shifting of responsibilities and clarifying processes. Although we both felt mutual accountability for the issue, each of us took turns shouldering a larger share of the burden due to a trip overseas, an ailing parent in the hospital, a book deadline, and various other commitments. The end result has been a personally rewarding experience for both of us and...