Your company is overhauling its customer support management, and the first step is to buy new CRM software. The sales, marketing, operations and customer service teams are actively engaged in managing customer relationships, which mean you, have formed a committee of representatives from every department to find out more about the alternatives and make a recommendation to the executive leadership team. Finally, each member of the Group has a stake in finding the Very best solution. In our work with matrix-style organizations and cross-functional Teams through the years, many have told us the exact same thing: The biggest challenge of the organizational structure is that the uncertainty created by a lack of clarity about responsibilities and authority. Unlike a conventional hierarchy where it is clear whose in Charge, the lines are often blurred within a group representing different regions, departments or functions.
Leaders might be used to making decisions to their division, but they are not used to sharing choice responsibility in a matrix group. One of the secrets to functioning successfully in a matrix is clarifying decision authority with communicating with influence. There are a variety of tools which can help your organization achieve that, such as the RACI Matrix, which is a template to record how staff members should participate in decisions and that has the last go or no go authority.
This person or group should be consulted at the early stages of the project to increase decision quality and or set buy-in. Once the Accountable Individual or group has accepted the decision, those who possess the informed role ought to be told what decision was made so that they can make the right adjustments in their region.
- Start Early
If you have ever been influenced by a bad decision that could have been prevented if you had been consulted, you know how frustrating it can be. That is why it is vital to agree on roles and responsibilities from the start. Use the RACI Matrix and have the time to talk about how staff Members will work together, what collaboration will look like within this group and when it will be necessary before conflicts arise.
- Prioritize
It is frequently said that 80 percent of your results come from only 20 percent of your efforts, so it is important to ascertain that 20 percent of your actions and decisions will be impactful. Whether your group is a permanent structure or a temporary committee, concentrate on the three to five important decisions and actions this cross-functional team will be responsible for and work out the functions and authority for all those critical few. Do not waste time trying to agree on roles and authority for actions or decisions that are not critical or are not likely to occur.