Matrix Teamwork Intelligence™

The Matrix Teamwork Intelligence™ supplement has been designed to complement The Matrix LEAD Influencer (BTI)™. It provides Facilitators with an additional learning resource that enables people working in teams within dynamic structures to develop a multi-dimensional approach towards working with, and positively influencing, their stakeholders.

Because most team members will typically learn their team working behaviours and practices from working in hierarchical organisations, they can often unintentionally use disempowering and self-limiting beliefs and unhelpful behaviours.

To use a sporting metaphor, the difference between working in teams in hierarchical organisations (i.e. structured by function or specialism) compared to matrix type organisations (i.e. cross-functional or cross-process structures), would be the equivalent of asking an American Football team to play a European Rugby team, and then expect the American football team to win, using the European set of rugby rules !

While the same basic requirements of hand and eye coordination, athleticism, ball control etc would apply to both teams. The beliefs, behaviours, knowledge and skills that each team would need to demonstrate in order to be effective, by their own respective rules of play, would be very different in actual practice.

Similarly many of the ways of working people learn in teams in hierarchical organisations do not readily transfer across to working effectively in teams in more flexible structures, which usually have an increased emphasis on the need for self-direction, taking ownership and responsibility - attributes typically more related to a managers role in a hierarchy, not a team member !

For example in ‘matrixed’ structures teams often have to work with challenging reporting inter-dependencies that simply do not exist in hierarchical structures. Such as when people in cross-boundary (project or process) teams may have a ‘functional’ specialism line manager that they report to for appraisals, career decisions and project tasking. But can also have a Matrix (or Project, Process) manager, to who they are accountable for the delivery aspects of a specific process (or project or initiative, etc).

In addition, if team members have specialist technical skills, they could belong to several teams, and have several similar inter-dependent reporting relationships !

The Matrix Teamwork Intelligence™ supplement provides Facilitators with practical and pragmatic tools that enables teams to explore a more integrated and inclusive approach towards team working in complex structures, so they can meet these and similar challenges that multi-dimensional teams have to deal with on a regular basis in matrix type structures.

Using the unique Matrix P4 Model © shown in the diagram opposite. Matrix Teamwork Intelligence™
helps team members to not only understand how to use the four dimensions in order to produce
higher levels of performance when working in matrix structures, but also empowers them to adopt
a multi-dimensional perspective and approach to working in teams co-operative and collaborative
21st century organisations.

Facilitator information and PowerPoint slides for the Matrix Teamwork Intelligence™
supplement is included as a part of LEAD Influencer Facilitator Certification workshop.

For further information on Matrix Teamwork Intelligence™ contact us today.

If you would like to see how Matrix Teamwork Intelligence™is used to form the basis of a Matrix Teamwork Workshop,

  click here...