Cross-Functional Relationships
- Advisor
- Audit
- Coordinative
- Monitoring
- Prescribe
- Service Getting
- Collateral
The Audit Cross-Functional relationship carries a great deal of authority with it. Defining this authority, up-front, removes ambiguity and clarifies accountability.
“Paul, as the Project Leader, you know this project has to conform to strict standards set, not only by our client, but also by state statute.
“Steve, I am assigning you to this project team in an audit role. You have a background in the technical standards required on this project. Here are your authorities.
“If you observe something that violates any of the standards, you are required to inform Paul so he can stop the activity. If Paul fails to stop the activity, you have the authority to stop the project on your own.
“Paul, if Steve says we need to stop the project, understand I am giving him the authority to do so. He will tell you first, but, if you don’t take action, I expect him to. If there is a disagreement, between the two of you about the standard, we are relying on Steve’s technical background to make the judgment to stop or delay. Steve wins. Once the activity is stopped, we can sort out the next step.
“Steve, I expect that, in the event of a disagreement, as the auditor, you will do your best to present the technical details to Paul and make your case for all the reasons why. You will have access to all the work flow data, including progress reports and any work instructions published by Paul.
“And, Steve, I expect to be fully informed of your observations and findings related to the standards we have to maintain on this project.”
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