Life in a Matrix

Many of our clients are currently focusing on creating more integrated IT functions. This tends to create a more complex IT organization and requires different skills if we are not to create delay, cost and dissatisfaction.
There are three main drivers for this

Cost savings – companies are pursuing cost savings in all areas but this is [...]

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Follow our CEO Kevan Hall on Twitter or conect on Linkedin for regular updates on relevant articles and news and insights about our travels and ideas.

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Techie stuff

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For serious students of matrix organizations here is a paper that describes some of the early work done on matrix organization at Shell in the 60s up to the 90s – Organization restructuring within Royal Dutch Shell.
Enjoy

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I read an interesting blog post on the role of IT and the CEO, in it the author argues that IT should not report formally into the business line in a matrix as this impinges on their ability to drive innovation and focus on IT issues that extend beyond the boundaries of the business unit.
Are [...]

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Matrix organization structures are designed to deliver complex products and services by linking up organizations and resources across distance, cultures and timezones.
Often this can lead to harmonisation (even one-size-fits-all solutions) but it does not have to be this way.
It is easy to talk about satisfying (even “delighting” – a phrase that normally makes me cringe) [...]

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Desperately sad day yesterday saw my team Reading FC relegated from the Premiership on goal difference on the last day of the season. It was a long drive back from Derby.
What can we learn that applies to the world of work.
You need a balance of talent and teamwork. If you do not have enough individual [...]

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T5 turned out to be a pleasant surprise. With online check-in and hand luggage the trip through to airside was very fast. The building is pretty impressive and there were no obvious design flow problems and some improvements – for example you move from the check-in desk straight forward (no fighting your way back through [...]

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This week I will be travelling to San Francisco (where our US office is) , Napa Valley (for my USA team meeting – though I suspect wine tasting may break out) and to Oregon to meet with a new client – more on this when I get back.
I am a pretty regular traveller, for years in [...]

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I will away be on holiday from 3rd to 13th April and will not be posting over this period. I also won’t be checking emails or phone calls (a colleague will screen my calls for anything urgent – but I don’t expect anything). Here is the view from my hotel room in the spirit of [...]

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