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Matrix Management Wiki

8G. Working in a Matrix

  • 8G1. In VM 1.0, the professional is supposed to do as he is told. There is very little empowerment of the professional.
  • 8G2. In MM 1.0, the professional receives direction from two different “bosses”: the functional boss and the cross-functional team leader. This puts the professional in a no-win situation, and the functional boss is usually the one that has the final say.
    • 8G2i. In MM 1.0, there is also a lack of cross-functional prioritization and an overcommitment of resources, as well as unrealistic goals. As a result, the professional wastes a lot of time trying to navigate a dysfunctional organization; time that could be spent on producing deliverables.
  • 8G3. In MM 2.0, the emphasis is on ensuring the professional focuses on producing deliverables. This requires technical skills.
    • 8G3i. There are also non-technical skills the professional needs to have in a team-based organization, including:
      • 8G3ia. Collaboration skills
      • 8G3ib. Ability to participate in collaborative methods such as collaborative planning, decision making, problem solving, etc.
      • 8G3ic. Ability to work with others
      • 8G3id. Ability to liaise with stakeholders
      • 8G3ie. Ability to negotiate deliverable scope/budget/timelines.
      • 8G3if. Ability to document his accountability portfolio
      • 8G3ig. Ability to present his ideas/work with others
      • 8G3ih. Ability to advocate for his own ideas but embrace team decisions
      • 8G3ii. Ability to build relationships
      • 8G3ij. Ability to keep commitments
      • 8G3ik. Ability to act as an empowered adult
  • 8G4. If the leadership team leads without authority and fulfills its leadership role, the professional role is relatively straightforward.
    • 8G4i. The professional’s role is to be a technical expert—to produce the deliverables for projects and business processes. The leader’s role is to make it as easy as possible for the professional to do just that.
      • 8G4ia. When the leader does his job; when the professional takes on only accountability he can fulfill; when he is given the resources he needs to get the job done and he follows the priorities as outlined by leadership; when he participates in the planning process and accepts accountability for the team’s deliverables as well as his own; and when he has the technical capabilities to produce the deliverables, he cannot help but be successful.
      • 8G4ib. The most difficult tasks a professional should have to tackle are the technical barriers (risks) involved with producing a deliverable. Leadership should remove organizational barriers to getting the work done.