Life in a Matrix

One of my colleagues, Janet, used the phrase “recalibration” in our recent development meeting on matrix management training. It’s a phrase I have thought about a lot as we are developing some new matrix management training modules based on our client work.
A lot of it is about recalibrating and challenging some traditional expectations of management to [...]

[Read more →]

Several of our clients have asked for case studies and examples of matrix management in other companies. As there seems to be such demand I thought I would spend some time searching.
Be careful however with case studies - you can’t just lift experiences from one organization to another and life is much more complicated than [...]

[Read more →]

Drawing a matrix organization chart can be a challenge, particularly as the number of reporting relationships increases. Many attempts to construct a matrix organization chart end in structures that are not intuitive and clear.
Here is the way we draw a matrix organization chart. We realized that one of the problems was that we were carrying [...]

[Read more →]

I took my daughter for her first term at University yesterday. A difficult day for all of us but I know she will have a fabulous time.
However, technology has made this a very different experience than it was in my day. Once my parents dropped me off, they were dependent on me remembering to call [...]

[Read more →]

Anyone who has had any form of management education in the last several decades can recite the mantra - empowerment is good! We all get the theory but there are practical pressures that sometimes push us the other way.
In complex matrix organizations we may not know our people so well. We may be on different [...]

[Read more →]

I came across this interesting article from the Journal of Health and Social Behaviour, reported in the London Times and here online
The study found

Women who had only one female boss reported more psychological distress (such as trouble sleeping, difficulty focusing on work, depression and anxiety) and physical symptoms (such as headaches, stomach pain or heartburn, [...]

[Read more →]

In part one of this matrix management interview, Kevan started to define the various levels of matrix structure and some of the different factors we need to take into account in matrix management. In the second part of this interview he discusses some of the specific matrix management challenges he has been working on.
Kevan - what [...]

[Read more →]

Take a look at our new Global Integration blog.
This is a sister site to life in a matrix with several of the same contributors. If you enjoy this blog why not subscribe there too.
We will keep the “Life in a Matrix” blog focused on matrix management and matrix organization issues.
The Global Integration blog will look [...]

[Read more →]

This interview covers the advantages and disadvantages of matrix management and some of the key matrix management challenges?  In part one Kevan defines the matrix organization and looks at why organizations choose to use matrix management.
Kevan Hall is CEO of Global Integration, author of Speed Lead – faster, simpler ways to manage people projects and [...]

[Read more →]

Take a look at our new and improved Global Integration website, launched today.
The Global Integration website is our corporate site and here you will find descriptions of our consulting and training services and links where you can access a wide rang of our ideas and resources for free.
Global Integration develop and deliver innovative but practical [...]

[Read more →]