While team management is a universal concept, the intricacies of coordinating diverse groups within the promotional review process present their own set of challenges. From marketing to medical, regulatory, and legal, each team member brings distinct expertise and priorities to the table. Navigating these differences while ensuring alignment towards common goals requires careful attention and strategic leadership.

Here are four best practices to consider to improve how your promotional review team works together:

Foster effective communication

Communication: a simple concept, yet a critical one. Open dialogue and a mutual understanding among team members is essential. Furthermore, communication is improved when there are both personal connections and clear expectations within your team. This could take the form of review meetings that start with an icebreaker question, clearly documented and communicated SLAs, or making sure a peak period of work is communicated to the review team. By fostering a culture of transparency and collaboration, your team is more likely to mitigate friction points on their own, leading to a streamlined review process. 

Balance the dynamics of tenure

Balancing tenure within the team will depend on your team size and composition. For teams wherein there is a variety of tenured members, it’s important to recognize what each person brings to the table. While seasoned professionals bring valuable insights and expertise, they may also be susceptible to entrenched perspectives. On the other hand, newcomers offer fresh perspectives but require time to acclimate to the review process. Balancing these dynamics is essential for promoting innovation while maintaining quality and efficiency. 

Consider the metrics

In the quest for continuous improvement, monitoring performance metrics is paramount. Regularly looking at metrics like cycle time and first pass approval rate are helpful in evaluating how the team is working together. Metrics can also illuminate or verify bottlenecks and provide a basis for productive conversations within the team. Anne highlights the significance of metrics such as cycle time and first-round approvals in evaluating team performance. By identifying bottlenecks and areas for improvement, organizations can optimize their review processes and enhance overall efficiency.

Get crystal clear on roles and responsibilities 

Last but certainly not least–get very clear on team roles and responsibilities. By ensuring that team members understand their roles and the overarching goals of the review process, organizations can foster accountability and cohesion within their teams. Clearly documented roles and responsibilities is a great place to start.