What makes a successful cross-functional team? It may sound cliché, but the best cross-functional teams have the ability to put aside their differences and come together for a common purpose.

This is easier said than done, especially when a team is made up of people from departments, generations, or geographic regions. Our own research has found that more than half of all cross-functional teams fail to achieve their goals, largely because team members from various departments are unable or unwilling to collaborate.

Last year, we heard too many stories about the disastrous consequences that result from toxic equipment. Instead of looking at where these companies went wrong, we wanted to highlight a few companies that seem to be doing it right.

Here are three cross-functional teams that were successful last year and what we can learn from them.

New IBM Health Business Unit

IBM’s new healthcare division, IBM Watson Health, announced earlier this year that it would partner with 14 major cancer centers to turn genetic data into personalized treatments for patients. The new team will analyze the data and apply it to a wide range of applications, such as drug trials and mobile health apps.

“The technology we are applying to this challenge brings the power of cognitive computing to address one of the most urgent and pressing problems of our time, the fight against cancer, in a way that has never been possible before,” said Steve. Harvey, vice president of IBM Watson Health, at the deal announcement.

Although this initiative is just beginning, IBM Watson Health appears to be taking the right first steps by uniting the world’s leading cancer treatment innovators around a common set of goals. Its leaders are taking the time to work with doctors and other professionals to understand how the healthcare industry works, rather than launching into lawsuits. To gain cooperation, IBM leaders are using an influence tactic known as consulting: bringing in someone with more experience as a way of gaining support from others. Involving key stakeholders early on and asking them to advise on areas where they have expertise is a smart way to ensure the team works well together from the start.

global high point

HighPoint Global was recently named No. 16 on Forbes’ list of America’s 100 Most Promising Companies, at least in part because of its collaborative culture and commitment to fostering collaboration among the utility agencies it serves.

Their trademarked solution, known as eleVate The Citizen Experience, aims to help their clients better serve and communicate with their constituents.

“The key to our success and the success of our clients is our people – we hire the best of the best in customer service representative training development and delivery of content writing and scripting, implementation and management of technology tools, methodologies sophisticated program and project management, IT infrastructure and systems integration and quality assurance services for call centers, help desks, online websites and much more,” HighPoint Global said in a press release.

Many organizations say they put people first, but unfortunately, employee satisfaction among federal workers has been low for years; in fact, the most recent survey indicated that federal employee satisfaction was only 60 percent, as HighPoint explains in a recent blog post. The company aims to address this by providing extensive training and resources to employees, improving engagement and enabling them to work together more efficiently to serve the public. The end result is faster turnaround times for public sector projects, a smoother experience for the public, and fewer complaints.

Instagram

There are perhaps thousands of startups vying to be the next Uber for their industry, bringing a new level of customer service and convenience to traditional ways of getting things done.

While many have failed or simply didn’t stand out, Instacart managed to become the Uber of grocery shopping. In just three years, the on-demand grocery delivery platform has raised nearly $300 million in funding at a valuation of more than $2 million.

What sets Instacart apart? Its first differentiator is the app itself, developed with constant input from the team members who actually use it to shop. To make it more efficient, Instacart has added features like aisle navigation and a system that lets shoppers easily find a substitute when a specific item isn’t available.

The company also made the decision to onboard all of its in-store shoppers as part-time employees, setting it apart from companies like Uber, which view service providers as independent contractors. In this way, Instacart can take responsibility for the training, supervision and monitoring of its employees, which it considers a key element in providing strong customer service. The Instacart team is constantly making changes and everyone has a chance to contribute, not just developers.

“Our team is really agile in trying new things and adjusting the way we’re currently operating,” Instacart CEO Apoorva Mehta said in a recent interview with Inc.com.

What distinguishes high performance teams?

The success of these three teams is no accident. In our own experience and research, we have identified several factors that distinguish successful cross-functional teams, including:

• Shared goals
• Clear roles and decision authority
• Leaders who are effective influencers
• Leaders who are effective change agents

Training can help cross-functional team leaders build trust, improve collaboration, and empower their teams to be more productive.