Commitment

The third post in ChaiTime's paid-subscriber series on Cross-Functional Teams (CFTs). This one deep-dives into Will Gaps that are a barrier to success for CFTs.

Welcome to the third post of the Cross-Functional Teams series! Here is the series roadmap to orient you.

I was once forming a cross-functional team for an important feature. It would span all Google Workspace products. I had almost settled on the team lead as my first choice. Then, I remembered my independent study. So, I decided to have a 1:1 with the person to ask if they wanted to join the team.

I was expecting that they would be enthusiastic and excited about this. After all, I was their director and the team executive sponsor. I was guaranteeing this as a career-changing, high-impact, high-visibility project for them! 

But their question completely surprised me! They asked:

Do I have a choice?

The Free Rider Problem

Have you ever been in a group where you had one or more group members who did not do their share of work? 

This phenomenon is called the “free rider problem." It’s an economic concept that occurs when people benefit from a resource or service without paying for it. In cross-functional teams, this is a member who enjoys the perks of being on the team. They may seek the career boost or prestige that comes with it. But, they do no actual work.

My study, through relevant papers (Rowe) and interview questions, found some interesting things about this problem!

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