The following are references and responses I received after asking
for help in identifying critical interpersonal skills for leaders in a
matrix organization. I have also added those which I found myself. I
believe that the personal responses posted at the end are of particular
value.
Thank you to everyone who responded.
Kelly Berg
Middle Tennessee State University
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LIST REFS for BOOKS - --- - - --- - - --- - - --- -
The boundaryless organization: Breaking the chains of organizational
structure (1995) by Ron Ashkenas ... [et al.]; forewords by C.K. Prahalad
and Lawrence A. Bossidy.
Publisher: San Francisco : Jossey-Bass Publishers
Organizing for global competitiveness: The matrix design (1994)
Report No. 1088-94-RR
Robert J. Kramer
NY: The Conference Board Telephone: (212) 759-0900
People and organizations interacting (1985) Edited by Aat Brakel
Publisher: Chichester [West Sussex] ; New York : Wiley
Solving the Cross-Work Puzzle by Robert Crosby
LIOS/Bastyr University in Seattle
206/635-1187, ask to be transferred to the bookstore
Organizing for the Future...The New Logic for Managing Complex
Organizations by Galbraith, Lawler, and Associates.
Competing for the future (1994) by Hamel, G. & Prahalad, C.
Publisher: Boston: Harvard Business School Press
OTHER BOOKS - --- - - --- - - --- - - --- -
Matrix Management Systems Handbook (1984) Edited by Cleland, D.
Publisher: New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold
Matrix organization & project management (1979)
Edited by Hill, R. & White, B.
Publisher: Ann Arbor: Division of Research, Graduate School of Business
Administration, U of Mich
Matrix (1977)
by Davis, S. & Lawrence, P. collaborating with H. Kolodny and M. Beer
Publisher: Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Pub. Co
LIST REFS for JOURNAL ARTICLES - --- - - --- - - --- - - --- -
Joyce, W. (1986). Matrix organization: A social experiment. Academy
of Management Journal, 29(3), 536-61.
OTHER JOURNAL ARTICLES - --- - - --- - - --- - - --- -
Lawrence, P., Kolodny, H. & Davis, S. (1977). The human side of the
matrix. Organizational-Dynamics, 6(1) 43-61. (associated with the
"Matrix" book listed above)
Larson, E. & Gobeli, D. (1987). Matrix Management: Contradictions
and insights. California Management Review, 29, 126-38.
THE FOLLOWING REFERENCES WERE PROVIDED BY THE MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
CENTRE AT THE INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (UK) - --- - - --- -
Chaudron, D. (1995). The authority matrix empowerment and role
clarification. HR Focus, May Vol 72.
Ghoshal, S. & Bartlett, C. (1995). Changing the role of top
management beyond structure to processes. Harvard Business Review,
Jan/Feb, Vol. 73.
Burns, L. & Wholey, D. (1993). Adoption and abandonment of matrix
management programs: Effects of organizational characteristics and
interorganizational networks. Academy of Management Journal, Feb, Vo. 36.
Phillips, G. (1990). Performance appraising within the matrix.
Modern Management, Winter, Vol. 4.
Bartlett, C. & Ghoshal, S. (1990). Matrix management: Not a
structure, a frame of mind. Harvard Business Review, Jul/Aug, Vol. 68.
PERSONAL RESPONSES - --- - - --- - - --- - - --- -
We implemented a matrix structure about 4 months ago, and the
biggest suggestion I'd give is to be extremely prepared and think through
every aspect of how things will be different. The point person (the one
at the top of the structure that functional and line management reports
to) will be extremely busy. Ours supports 12-13 people. Trying to find
enough time in a week to effectively meet with 12 managers is tough.
Also, ease into the structure with a lot of team training up
front.. The entire group must bond (as much as realistically possible)
before implementing the structure. There must be buy-in to schedules,
deadlines, and responsibilities from everyone.
If your initial conclusion is that training should be focused on
the leaders in matrix orgs, you're exactly right (at least in my
observation). These leaders need clear definition of responsibilities,
but even more so they need to know what it means to function as a team.
This means everybody buys into the program, and takes responsibility for
deadlines. I have found that often the horizontal leader (account person)
is responsible for the end product but the vertical (functional) leader is
not. The functional people have got to have the same responsibility for
getting products out on time and accurately as the account people.
Do whatever it takes to get these leaders comfortable with each
other and operating together before the matrix is put into operation.
Team building, etc.
Overall it works pretty well. Spend enough time and think through
potential obstacles before implementation. If it's new, maybe Guinea Pig
a dept. and watch for challenges.
- --- - - --- -
While I'm unable to recommend any particular material I would
suggest that you do some research on the large consulting organizations
related to the Big Six accounting firms. These consulting orgs are very
lucrative (one way to define success) and all employ a matrix structure
(practice, like Change Management, on one scale; industry specialization,
like electric utilities, on the other). Their ability to scan up to
20,000 people worldwide (like Andersen) for talent, makes them pretty
formidable in matching their people up with clients. Contacting them
directly and asking for literature related to potential employment will
yield a good descriptive on the matrix and you could follow up from there.
- --- - - --- -
From my own experience with teams working in a functionalXproduct
matrix, there is a great need for clear, measurable goals and success
criteria agreed upon by all (and sometimes it's difficult to determine who
all in the hierarchy needs to commit) before the project/team launches.
The ongoing communications and problem solving done by the team would
normally concentrate on getting the project to meet these success
criteria. And the formal and informal reward system is a big factor as
well.
The interpersonal skills required are those pretty typical of any
team leader. Keeping the team focused on the goals and able to engage the
right people in productive problem solving would be high on the list.
Open to the ideas of others, able to manage upwards, and able to keep an
open flow of information are also important.
Of course, respect for the diverse thinking etc, listening skills,
feedback skills, etc are the basics I am not detailing here.
- --- - - --- -
......look at The Procter & Gamble Company. Also, many of the companies
mentioned in "Build to Last" are matrix. You may also want to look at
"Competing for the Future".
- --- - - --- -
Aerospace companies (e.g., some Lockheed Martin companies)
typically organize around a matrixed structure. Then again, some may label
their organization as a project organization.
Also, I see you are from a Higher Educational Institution...if
this is of interest to you, Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin used
to be (maybe still is) organized around one of the purist matrix
structures I've seen in the last decade.
- --- - - --- -
I currently work in an over-matrixed organization and quite
frankly, it is a disaster. I really have no success stories or examples
of successful leaders but if your looking for disasters, feel free to ask
me more. We have some managers who report to five and six different
people. What a mess!!
Role clarification is probably the most critical skill. NO ONE
seems to be clear about their roles, even those running the show. Creates
mass confusion.
People are beginning to figure out that there is so much confusion
in this present structure, that it's easy to become invisible. Many are
taking that approach. Some will overperform with no real rewards for it
and others will just hide with no repercussions. Actually, it may almost
be more professionally advantageous to hide.
Power struggles probably are at the top of the list of major
problems. Some who have had power for years are losing it and others are
gaining it and it creates some real turf wars.
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