Editor's Note - July/Aug 2014 Issue

Whether you have been glued to your television watching World Cup soccer matches or spending your summer evenings as a spectator to little league games, you may have noticed something: the teams that succeed—regardless of their age or talent level—are the teams that have cohesiveness. Through clear communication, all of the separate parts are able to work together and drive toward the same end goal.

The business world is no different. The most successful businesses are not simply comprised of talented, hardworking employees. They are comprised of talented, hardworking employees who are communicating clearly within their own groups, as well as across functions, and supporting their fellow business partners to collectively drive toward the same goals.

For July and August issue of Forefront, we have spoken with several business leaders who have shared with us their cross-functional success stories. Some of these leaders had to create synergy among various brands. For instance, when Judy Jackson, Executive Vice President and Chief Talent Officer, joined IPG Mediabrands in 2012, the firm lacked an essential connectivity between its brands’ Human Resources departments. So she started from the ground up to establish a cohesiveness among the various groups.

Similarly, Bill Scudder, Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Sonus Networks, shares with us how he effectively devised vision and implemented a strategy to make IT a true business partner, enabler, and strategic asset to the firm.

Robby McDonald, Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at Easton-Bell Sports also tells us how he helped develop IT into a strong business partner by building credibility within his team and the business, creating opportunities for business process owners to have direct relationships with IT, and then communicating how technology could play a pivotal role in making those organizations better.

Anne Chwat, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc., also discusses the importance of developing and maintaining strong relationships not only within your own team, but with your boss, your peers, the support staff—everybody.

When all of the individual parts—whether it is an IT group and the HR function, or the shortstop and the catcher—are developing strong relationships, communicating clearly with each other, and working together to achieve the same goal, success is bound to emerge, either in the form of increased revenues or championships.

— The Forefront Team