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Three Secrets to Thriving in an Organizational Matrix
First, recognize that almost all medium to large organizations are actually matrix organizations. Most of these organizations have a direct “vertical” reporting line based on one organizational dimension and at least one “horizontal” based on another dimension. Sometimes the formal vertical is a function like development, production, marketing, sales, etc. Sometimes it’s geographical or line…
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The Sportification of Politics and the Possibility of Governing
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Five Secrets to Briefing Stakeholders, Senior Management, or the Board Effectively
Does your job require you to brief senior management, the board, or other stakeholder groups? People who have a stake in your business, organization, or program want to know what’s going on so they can give you good guidance. If the group you are briefing has a governance role, they want to be well-informed so…
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Do Me a Favor? See Whether the Ben Franklin Effect Makes Sense to You?
If you have worked in a large complex organization, you have probably discovered that getting things done depends on figuring out who can actually do something you need to have done even if they aren’t the persons who are technically responsible. Sometimes these folks are long serving people in junior positions who have seen it…
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Four of the Most Common Mistakes in Team Management and How to Fix Them
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Being Smart About Being Smart: Invite Others Into a Shared Thought Process
Arne Lewis, was my Art History professor and advisor. He combined a soft-spoken style with an intense curiosity about how people learn. I still remember his critique of my draft of my first chapter of what would be a hundred-page senior thesis. “There are a lot of provocative ideas here,” he said, “but I am…
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But the Problem Actually IS Complicated! Seven Reasons to Build a Model to Solve It
Have you ever had a conversation with a colleague that sounded something like this? You: This is a complicated problem. There are a lot of variables to consider and many of them are interdependent. Colleague: I get that, but you need to simplify it somehow or no one is going to understand it. You: The problem…
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Alternatives to Jargon: Expanding Your Tool Box of Analogies and Adages
All of us find it increasingly difficult to communicate without relying on the ever-expanding jargon of the work place. A friend recently posted this graphic from The Atlantic listing popular office jargon. It’s a good summary of the usual suspects. One alternative to jargon is to dust off some of your favorite analogies and adages. Here…