Latest / The Internal Move Podcast with Fexingo: Lateral Roles, Internal Transfers, and Staying at Your Company / How to Use an Internal Transfer to Gain Cross-Functional Skills
Transcript
- Lucas: Let's talk about something I think is underrated when people consider an internal transfer: using it to gain cross-functional skills. Not just a vertical promotion, not a sidestep to a similar role, but a deliberate move into a completely different function within the same company. Luna: Right — like the marketing person who goes into supply chain for a year and a half, then comes back to marketing with a totally different lens. Lucas: Exactly. In fact, I've been looking at a specific case from Procter & Gamble. They have a formal program called 'Cross-Functional Rotations' but even informally, I know a marketing manager there who transferred into their supply chain division for 18 months. She wasn't just sitting in meetings — she was managing inventory flow for a major detergent brand. Luna: That's a big leap. What was the payoff? Lucas: When she returned to marketing, she could forecast campaign timelines with a much better understanding of lead times and raw material availability. She could push back on unrealistic launch dates because she knew exactly how long it took to get ingredients and packaging. Her credibility with the supply chain team went through the roof, and her marketing campaigns stopped missing deadlines. Luna: That's a real advantage. And she didn't have to leave the company to get it. Lucas: Right — and that's the core of why internal cross-functional moves are powerful. If you were hired externally into a supply chain role, you'd have to learn the company's systems and culture from scratch. But she already knew the brand, the stakeholders, the internal language. She could focus entirely on learning the function itself. Luna: So it's faster learning? Like a compressed curve? Lucas: Exactly. A 2025 LinkedIn study I came across found that employees who complete a cross-functional internal transfer are 20 percent more likely to be promoted within two years compared to those who stay in the same function. And the reason isn't just the new skill — it's the 'organizational fluency' that comes from understanding how two different parts of the business actually connect. Luna: That makes sense. But I wonder — there's a risk, isn't there? If you move into a different function, some people might see you as unfocused or not committed to a core path. Lucas: That's the exact fear I hear from listeners. And it's a valid concern. But I think the framing matters. If you present it as 'I want to explore other areas' that sounds vague. If you frame it as 'I want to become a T-shaped professional — deep in my home function but broad enough to collaborate effectively across the business' — that's a much stronger story. Luna: So you need a narrative. A 'why' that ties back to value for the company, not just personal curiosity. Lucas: Exactly. And if today's episode is actually useful to you, that's the whole reason we do this — to help you think through moves like this. The show stays ad-free thanks to listener support at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. If you've gotten value from episodes like this one, that's the way to keep it going. Luna: Yeah, it's a small gesture that makes a big difference for us. And we genuinely appreciate it. Lucas: Alright — back to the cross-functional play. So how do you actually pitch this to your manager or to a hiring manager in another department? I think the key is to anchor it in a specific business problem. Luna: Give an example of what that sounds like in practice. Lucas: Let's say you're a product manager at a tech company, and you want to move into the data science team for a year. You don't just say 'I want to learn data science.' You say 'Our product team consistently underestimates the engineering effort for data-heavy features. If I spend a year on the data science team, I'll come back able to scope those features accurately, bridge that communication gap, and reduce our feature delivery time.' Luna: That's a business case, not a personal development request. That's much harder to say no to. Lucas: Right. And you can even propose a specific timeline — say, 12 to 18 months — with a clear return date. That addresses the fear that you're 'leaving' your function permanently. You're just taking a deliberate detour. Luna: What about the compensation side? If you move laterally to a different function, do you typically take a pay cut? Lucas: Not necessarily. Most companies keep your salary the same for a lateral move, especially if it's part of a development plan. But if you're moving from a higher-paying function like sales into something like HR or operations, you might see a freeze or a small adjustment. The trade-off is the long-term value of becoming more versatile. Luna: And sometimes that versatility itself leads to a bigger role down the line. I've seen people who did a cross-functional move become the natural choice for a director role that oversees both functions. Lucas: Exactly. That's the 'T-shaped' career path. The vertical bar is your depth, the horizontal bar is your breadth. And internal cross-functional transfers are the most efficient way to build that horizontal bar because you don't have to learn a new company's culture, politics, and systems from scratch. Luna: So if someone is listening and thinking about this, what's the first step they should take this week? Lucas: Identify one function that directly impacts your current role's biggest pain point. If you're in finance and you constantly struggle with inaccurate sales forecasts, maybe a short rotation into the sales operations team would be valuable. Then find a person in that function who would be open to a conversation. Ask them: 'What's the one thing you wish people in my function understood better?' That opens the door. Luna: And once you have that insight, you can build your pitch around solving that specific gap. Lucas: Exactly. And don't wait for a formal rotation program. Many companies don't have one. But most managers will say yes to a well-framed, time-limited proposal if it solves a real problem for them. You just have to make it easy for them to say yes. Luna: I think the key takeaway is: internal cross-functional moves aren't just about learning — they're about connecting. You become the person who can translate between departments. Lucas: That's exactly it. And that kind of connector is incredibly valuable in any organization. So if you've been feeling stuck in your current role but don't want to leave the company, consider a cross-functional detour. It might be the fastest way to grow — and to become indispensable. Luna: Great advice. Thanks, Lucas. Lucas: Thanks, Luna. Talk to everyone next time.