"You can't be successful by building silos. Everyone needs shared values and a shared vision, because we need each other to succeed."

The ninth behavior of Google's best managers is the willingness and ability to collaborate across the organization. The logic is simple: we are interdependent. My success depends on yours, and that's true for every person on the team and in the company. Isolating yourself or your team from the rest of the organization is a dead end.

Here's what it takes to become a genuine cross-collaborator.

Respect Diverse Communication Styles

We talk a lot about diversity — of background, experience, and perspective. We talk far less about diversity of communication styles, and it quietly causes more friction at work than almost anything else.

To collaborate across an organization, start by accepting that you'll often work with people whose approach is nothing like yours. The VP of sales may feel unheard by the accounting manager. The technical lead may misread the gregarious marketer's out-of-the-blue call as a distraction rather than an invitation to collaborate. Neither is wrong — they're just different.

We were taught the Golden Rule as children: treat others the way you want to be treated. But for real communication, that rule falls short. At Institute Success we teach the Golden Questions instead:

Most of the time we default to our natural style. But we all have an adaptive style, too — and learning to use it is what makes cross-collaboration work. Before any important meeting, especially with someone new, take a moment to plan how best to reach them.

Build Trust — Because People Work With Those They Trust

People do things for people they know, like, and trust. Without trust, a colleague in another department or another city will hold their knowledge close rather than share it. Why would they hand over what they worked hard to build if they don't trust you with it?

So build the relationship. Stop by, ask about someone's projects, their family, the photo on their desk. If you're leading cross-collaboration, learn how your counterparts like to work and what makes them tick. This isn't manipulation — it's adapting to your organization's most valuable asset so you can move forward together. The goal is to move people from a mindset of scarcity ("I") to one of abundance ("we").

Remember the Value of the Team — and the "Why"

Success in any organization is a team effort. You might be a superb individual performer, but you can't reach fully realized success alone. When everyone recognizes that your contribution is as valuable as theirs, the whole team moves forward together.

And keep the "why" front and center. As Simon Sinek reminds us in Start With Why, people don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it. The same is true for your internal clients — your colleagues will commit far more energy to collaboration when they see how it ties back to the mission.

Four Habits of a Collaborative Workplace

Borrow a page from Google's own playbook:

  1. Embrace differences.
  2. Encourage "casual collisions" of people and ideas.
  3. Promote employee engagement.
  4. Keep your door open and stay approachable.

Before your next cross-functional meeting, hold a quick "meeting before the meeting" with yourself, and run the Golden Questions. When you put your attention around your intention, you get a better result.