Getting the Best Out of Cross-Functional Teams: Lessons from Google’s Project Aristotle
Cross-functional teams are the bread and butter of digital production. Strategy, design, and development—three disciplines that often feel like they’re speaking different languages, yet when they work in harmony, they create magic. But let’s be honest, getting them to work in sync can sometimes feel like herding cats.
Google, being Google, decided to put their data-driven minds to work on this problem. They launched Project Aristotle, a study on what makes teams effective, and (no surprises here) they found that it’s not about having the smartest people in the room. Instead, high-performing teams share five key traits, with psychological safety topping the list.
So, how do we take Google’s findings and apply them to our own cross-functional teams? Here’s how you can foster an environment where strategists, designers, and developers don’t just tolerate each other but thrive together.
1. Psychological Safety: No One Wants to Look Like an Idiot
Psychological safety is the foundation of great teamwork. It’s the idea that people feel safe to take risks, voice their opinions, and admit mistakes without fear of being thrown under the bus. When this is missing, teams go silent, creativity stalls, and everyone just nods along to bad ideas to avoid rocking the boat.
In cross-functional teams, this is especially crucial. Designers need to be able to say, “This flow isn’t working.” Developers need to feel comfortable pushing back on unrealistic timelines. Strategists need to be able to challenge assumptions without stepping on toes.
The fix? Lead by example. Encourage candour, celebrate failures as learning moments, and make it clear that no one will get crucified for speaking up. If you want a team that innovates, you need a team that’s not afraid to fail.
(Reference: Google’s Project Aristotle, as reported in The New York Times)
2. Dependability: Actually Doing the Thing
Nothing kills momentum faster than people dropping the ball. High-performing teams don’t just talk a big game—they deliver, consistently.
This means setting clear expectations. If a developer promises a prototype by Friday, the designer shouldn’t be left refreshing Slack at 6 PM wondering where it is. Equally, if a strategist commits to delivering research insights, they’d better not turn up to the meeting with a half-baked Miro board and an apology.
How do you enforce this? Ruthless clarity. Use sprint planning, RACI charts, or whatever works, but make sure everyone knows what they owe to the team. And when someone does let the team down (because we’re all human), address it directly rather than sweeping it under the rug.
3. Structure and Clarity: Chaos is Not a Strategy
Strategy folks love ambiguity, designers embrace iteration, and developers crave structure. Left unchecked, this can descend into chaos. One of the key takeaways from Project Aristotle is that great teams know what they’re working towards and how they’re getting there.
This doesn’t mean rigid processes—flexibility is important—but it does mean everyone should have a clear sense of priorities, roles, and goals. A shared roadmap is a good start, but it needs to be more than a dusty Confluence page no one looks at.
A simple trick? Kick off projects with a working agreement. Agree on how you communicate, how decisions get made, and what “done” looks like. It’s basic but powerful.
4. Meaning: More Than Just Shipping Features
Ever worked on a project where the team was technically doing everything right, but the energy was flat? That’s what happens when there’s no sense of meaning behind the work.
Great teams know why they’re doing what they’re doing. Whether it’s solving a gnarly user problem or making something genuinely innovative, the best cross-functional teams are the ones who feel connected to the outcome, not just the output.
Leaders need to sell the vision. Not in a LinkedIn-influencer-post way, but in a way that actually resonates. Why does this project matter? How does it impact users? What’s exciting about it? If the team doesn’t care, the work will show it.
5. Impact: Seeing the Results
People want to know their work matters. One of the most underrated ways to keep a team engaged is simply to show them the impact of what they’ve built. Too often, strategy moves on to the next pitch, design gets pulled into another sprint, and devs are buried in bug fixes—no one actually pauses to see how their work landed.
Close the loop. Share customer feedback. Look at performance metrics. If something was a roaring success, celebrate it. If it flopped, dig into why. Either way, make sure everyone knows they’re not just cogs in a machine.
Making It Work in the Real World
The best cross-functional teams aren’t the ones with the flashiest tools or the most impressive resumes. They’re the ones that get the basics right: trust, accountability, clarity, purpose, and impact.
If you’re leading (or stuck in) a dysfunctional cross-functional team, start small. Foster a culture where people feel safe to speak up. Make roles and responsibilities crystal clear. Connect people to the bigger picture. None of this is rocket science, but done well, it can turn a group of specialists into a powerhouse team that actually enjoys working together.
And let’s be honest, in this industry, that’s half the battle won.
