Many organizations emphasize teamwork but undermine it through their practices. Matrix organizations, for instance, pose significant challenges to effective teamwork by requiring team members to report to multiple leaders. This often leads to ambiguity, confusion, and conflicting directives.
The core flaw of matrix organizations lies in their contradiction to the essence of teamwork. Employees are torn between fulfilling the expectations of different leaders, each with their own agendas and priorities. Consequently, staff spend considerable time navigating conflicting instructions, clarifying misaligned goals, and attempting to reconcile divergent perspectives. This shifts the focus from productivity to managing organizational communication and complexities.
Originally, matrix reporting aimed to streamline communication and decision-making. In practice, however, it often complicates these processes, as employees must balance directives from multiple leaders. Despite the importance of clear roles for an engaged and high-performing workforce, McKinsey and Gallup have both found that ambiguity is common in matrix organizations. Workers in such structures need clearer direction and better communication between their leaders to prioritize their work effectively.
Moreover, employees in matrix organizations often spend their days responding to requests and attending meetings, which slows decision-making, blurs communication, hampers productivity, and impedes organizational responsiveness and agility. Unsurprisingly, this lack of role clarity also negatively impacts an organization’s health index score.
For leaders in matrix organizations, the challenge is clear: Clear roles and accountabilities are essential. This can be achieved by conducting a Decision-Making Analysis or creating a Roles & Responsibilities Matrix to delineate specific roles in decision-making processes. Conducting a Team Communication Analysis can also help to establish rules that foster more effective communication, collaboration, and performance.
If you want to improve decision-making, role clarity and/or communication in your teams, DM me “DMA” for a Decision-Making Analysis, “R&R” for a Roles & Responsibilities Matrix or “TCA” for a Team Communication Analysis.
If you're a leader interested in creating your own high-performing team, register for our FREE June High-Performing Teams Leadership Challenge: https://www.ormondassociates.com/registration. Leaders will get 4 hours of 1:1 coaching on creating high-performing teams over 4 days in June. This $2000 value is FREE, but spots are limited. Register today and learn how to:
- Master the 8 key elements of high-performing teams.
- Assess your team’s performance.
- Implement actionable steps for significant improvement.
Comentarios