Life in a Matrix

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Techie stuff

It’s amazing what Google alerts throws up.  Apparently the Vulcan Kolinahr Fleet is organized on matrix management principles.

Mr Spock Matrix Manager

Conclusive proof that the matrix is the organizational form of the future.  I am sure a strict logic based approach to matrix management is a help. In the photo you can see Mr Spock clearly indicating the dual reporting lines in the structure to a member of the crew.

It is hard to imagine Klingons as successful matrix managers due to their relative lack of influence without authority skills.

Find out more here

In this episode, Kevan Hall, CEO of Global Integration and author of the book Speed Lead talks about employee engagement – what is employee engagement, how do we build it and how do we avoid cynicism as we try to build engagement following a period of tough business results and sometimes difficult decisions.

 Employee Engagement - Life in a Matrix [12:03m]: Download

Some browsers may have problems playing through this application, if so please click the following link – (please be patient it takes a few moments to download) employee-engagement

To find out more about how you can improve employee engagement and cut out unnecessary work please contact us.

The matrix organization now often extends outside the formal organization boundaries into working with external partners.

One example of this is open source development of software and other products.

Here is an interesting BBC radio program inside the virtual anthill which gives several examples of this increasingly common way of working.

Global Integration are working with a number of clients to improve their ability to work with external partners and to make their ways of working easier for others to collaborate with, find out more here.

Global Integration works around the world with major multinationals building the skills they need to manage people in complex, matrixed, virtual and global organizations.

The proportion of our business delivered in Asia has been increasing steadily in recent years but as our consultants were based in Europe and the Americas travel costs could add significantly to the cost of workshops and consulting assignments.

In order to look after our global customers more effectively and develop our business in Asia I am pleased to announce that we will open an office and be available to schedule programs in Singapore as of 1st February 2010.

For queries about scheduling, please contact your normal global account manager or contact us here

Same great quality – local travel costs

I came across this summary page yesterday with a whole range of articles on matrix management and matrix organizations.

A mixture of links to pdfs on matrix management and others to academic papers on matrix organizations (some you have to pay for)

Worth checking out isf you are doing some serios research on the topic.

Check out the matrix management articles

Here is a useful blog post about Microsoft’s approach to managing a communication and PR function operating in a  complex matrixed environment.

The article offers some ideas on use of different technologies and some insights into managing a complex communications function in a complex organization.

Read the rest of the article Managing communication and reducing overload in a matrix organization

This article on how ABB has used shared systems to integrate is various business units illustrates a simple point about coordination within complex businesses.

In a  matrix organization structure a lot of the complexity is caused by multiple reporting lines and the fact that people can be caught between multiple bosses and competing priorities – it is often the relationships and people dynamics that magnify the complexity.

In many areas we can get the benefits of coordination through sharing information, work-flows and common systems – supply chain would be a good example, without necessarily having a formal matrix structure.

We an help you choose the simplest structure that meets your objectives and develop the skills to make that structure work, find out more here

I came across the following collection of matrix management articles you might find useful.

If you are looking for other links to matrix management articles etc.. try the resources section of our sister site www.global-integration.com where you will find articles, cartoons podcasts and other resources or the matrix resources category on this blog.