Matrix management is somewhat different to the standard way of managing people and processes; however for a Project Manager, this is generally the only way of getting things done. Most projects operate in some kind of a matrix environment where resources to actually get the job done are acquired and released from other teams. In this fashion, the Project Manager is able to call upon the skills and excellence of staff throughout the organization to assist him in accomplishing his project, without having to build a huge and immense team internally.
What is Matrix Management?
Pluses and Minuses of Matrix Management
Pluses –
- No need for line management tasks like pay reviews and disciplinary meetings.
- Clearly defined objectives (project goals) are provided with a defined completion timetable
- Your job description and focus is well defined, as is that of each of the team members
- You are able to “poach” the best and most suitable resources from other parts of the company to accomplish your objectives versus having to make do with the staff in your team
Minuses –
- Who do they listen to? Unless its very well defined, your new resource can be pulled in too many directions between the requirements of your role and the work they were doing for their manager.
- Projects have a well defined timeline and due to these time constraints there are often issues with allowing staff to have time away from the job for personal development.
Hutch Morzaria is a CX and Support Leadership professional with 19 years of experience building and leading support organizations across SaaS, Fintech, and enterprise technology. He has held Director-level roles at Q4 Inc, AudienceView, Johnson Controls, and others, and holds ITIL Expert certification across V3 and V4.
