75% of Cross-Functional Teams Are Dysfunctional

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Hey!

Did you know that 75% of cross-functional teams are dysfunctional?

Why?

Because when everyone is responsible… no one is responsible.

Decisions get delayed, roles overlap, and accountability disappears.

Let’s discuss how to fix it:

Clarity is the cornerstone of effective collaboration.

Without clarity, projects stall, frustration rises, and high-performing people waste energy on politics instead of progress.

Clear roles, on the other hand, give teams focus, speed, and confidence.

The good news?

There are two simple but powerful frameworks that bring order to chaos -

DACI and RACI:

1. DACI - For Decision-Making

When tough choices are on the table, DACI helps cut through the noise by defining who does what.

It prevents endless debates by assigning ownership and ensuring accountability.

The 4 DACI Roles:

1. Driver – The driver is the person leading the decision-making process. They organize discussions, gather information, and make sure the team keeps moving forward without losing momentum.

2. Approver – The approver is the final authority on the decision. This person carries ultimate accountability and ensures that the decision aligns with company strategy and priorities.

3. Contributors – Contributors are subject matter experts who provide insights, data, and recommendations. Their input shapes the decision, but they are not the ones who make the final call.

4. Informed – The informed group consists of stakeholders who need to be kept up-to-date. They do not influence the choice directly, but knowing the outcome helps them stay aligned with the project or broader business goals.

👉 Example: Your team is choosing between two software vendors.

The driver organizes meetings, timelines, and gathers input from contributors.

The contributors include IT specialists, finance managers, and end-users who share perspectives on functionality, cost, and usability.

The approver, such as the CTO, makes the final call.

The informed, which could include the rest of the organization, receives the decision so they can prepare for the rollout.

Result? Faster, cleaner, and less political decisions that move projects forward.

2. RACI - For Project Execution

Once the decision is made, it’s time to deliver.

That’s where RACI comes in - it clarifies responsibilities and prevents misunderstandings during execution.

This ensures that tasks don’t fall through the cracks and that accountability is always visible.

The 4 RACI Roles:

1. Responsible – Responsible individuals are the people who do the work. They are the hands-on executors of the project, ensuring that tasks are completed with quality and on time.

2. Accountable – The accountable person is the one who ultimately answers for the project’s completion. There should only ever be one accountable person, because shared accountability leads to confusion and diluted ownership.

3. Consulted – Consulted stakeholders provide guidance, advice, and expertise. Their role is to shape decisions or approaches within the project, but they are not the ones delivering the tasks themselves.

4. Informed – Informed stakeholders are kept in the loop about progress and outcomes. They are not actively engaged in execution, but consistent communication keeps them aligned and prevents surprises.

👉 Example: You’re launching a new marketing campaign.

The responsible team is the marketing department producing creative assets and managing campaigns.

The accountable person is the head of marketing, who carries full ownership of the campaign’s success.

Consulted stakeholders may include the legal and product teams, who provide advice on compliance and product messaging.

The informed group might include leadership and the sales team, who need updates to prepare for incoming leads.

Result?

Everyone knows their lane, work doesn’t get duplicated, and projects move forward without endless status meetings.

🔑 Key Differences:

• DACI = Decisions. DACI creates clarity around who drives a decision, who has final approval, who contributes expertise, and who stays informed. It is best used when a project is stuck in analysis paralysis or when ownership of a decision is unclear.

• RACI = Execution. RACI defines who does the work, who is ultimately accountable, who provides advice, and who receives updates. It is most valuable during delivery, when many teams are involved and roles can easily blur.

Both frameworks create transparency and alignment - the antidotes to dysfunction.

They prevent duplication, remove ambiguity, and build confidence that the right people are focused on the right things.

✅ How to choose?

• Use DACI if your biggest challenge is slow, unclear, or political decision-making. It speeds up choices and ensures accountability.

• Use RACI if your biggest challenge is confusion during execution. It makes responsibilities crystal clear and prevents dropped tasks.

• Use both if you want end-to-end clarity - from making decisions to executing them. Many high-performing teams combine them to streamline collaboration at every stage.

Because in today’s fast-moving organizations, the biggest risk isn’t lack of talent.

It’s lack of clarity.

And clarity is what keeps teams aligned, motivated, and performing at their best.

Remember and Take Action

I have prepared a cheat sheet covering all the key points we discussed for your convenience, enabling you to learn and implement them effectively.

Deep Dive:

For a deeper understanding of these concepts, I recommend exploring the following resources:

Conclusion:

I trust this breakdown has shed light on how DACI and RACI can bring clarity, accountability, and speed to your team’s collaboration. By applying these frameworks, we move beyond dysfunction and create an environment where decisions are faster, execution is cleaner, and results speak for themselves.

Until our next exploration,

Igor

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