How can you GET and KEEP People’s Attention in a Matrix Organization to Achieve Results?
Operating cross-functionally, across geographies, across business units in an ever-fast and complex matrix organization is challenging. It requires self-awareness, tenacity, patience and intentional attention.
To shine as a leader in a matrix environment you have a responsibility to demonstrate strong communication, networking, advocate building, influence, and powerful personal branding skills.
To leverage relationships, communicate across time zones, and recognize different company cultures in an environment where reporting lines are tricky, you MUST pay attention.
The benefits of paying attention in this environment include opportunities to meet (and impress) other leaders, attract and retain top talent, accelerated project completion and career advancement.
Implement these strategies and you will succeed in your matrix organization:
Build relationships – your ability to network across multiple business units and with different levels in your company will ensure your success. Do people see your name in their inbox and answer it immediately? Do others instantly respond to your text messages? Do people happily accept your meeting invitations? If not, you may need to invest time creating stronger relationsips and networking in a variety of ways.
Identify informal leaders – every team has an informal leader. Every team has someone that may not have the title of manager/ supervisor/ director but the whole team knows they are the ‘go-to’ person. Find them, network with them, and learn as much as you can about team dynamics and their leadership style. This person will help you navigate that team, company politics, and leadership and will also potentially became an advocate for you.
Create advocates – while improving your relationship-building skills, identify people with teams who can become your advocates. Someone who has an idea of your responsibilities and projects and is willing to help communicate your value, make introductions, and advocate in meetings and with senior leaders if required. This is a longer-term strategy that requires focus, systems and dedication to relationships building. I create an appointment in my calendar every month and reach out to my list of 20 advocates.
Systemize thoughtfulness – I believe that paying attention requires systems. Systems create freedom. Can you schedule a monthly appointment to reach out to people who you want to stay top of mind with? I have a list of20 people and I send them books, articles, TED talks, and if I am out and about and see something that reminds me of them, I pop into the post. How can you dedicate time monthly to identify relationships you want to build, create a list of advocates and then systemize thoughtfulness?
Articulate your role – learn how to quickly articulate your role, the value you add and provide a project update. You need to always be prepared to quickly share how your team is achieving results, how they are adding value, and sometimes defend timelines. Learn the skill of briefly describing how your work affects others in the organization so you are prepared in every meeting, teleconference, and town hall or if you run into a leader in the elevator. Look for opportunities to promote your team and build relationships.
Book 15 minute tele-coffees – a tele-coffee is where you make a coffee and I make a coffee, and we talk on the telephone (I do tele-cocktails on a Friday… love those). Scheduling quick catch ups with other leaders internally will allow you to build relationships, understand their objectives, focus on sharing your team value and quickly assess if you need their support and engage them in future.
Attend team meetings – offer to attend other’s team meetings (virtually or in-person) to learn about other’s challenges, objectives and workflow. Offer to give an update of your team’s projects or responsibilities to help educate others.
Know communication preferences – learning the best way to communicate others in a matrix organization will accelerate decisions and workflow. Do your internal clients prefer email, phone, instant message, and text or in-person meetings? Once you learn people’s preferences make a note and share this with your team.
Get creative – do you have to attend every meeting? Do you have to be on every teleconference? Identify the purpose of meetings and if your presence is required the whole time, or if you can send a team member, or if you can just receive notes? Be creative in the way you contribute to other teams and find ways to leverage technology.
Monitor time zones – be kind when scheduling across global time zones. Use a variety of timeframes so it is kind to everyone and not just the same time every week or month because it is convenient for one team. If the meeting time is going to impact you personally, have the courage to speak up and suggest alternatives.
Respect protocol – we have organization structures for specific reasons; don’t go over someone’s head or around someone when possible. Respect roles, responsibilities and hierarchy. If you aren’t achieving the results you need consider talking to people’s peers before you approach their leadership. Be kind. Show respect.
Demonstrate expertise – in all meetings, presentations, town halls, webinars, training sessions and social activities, look for ways you can add value to conversations. Be the subject matter expert and don’t speak up just so you can hear yourself speak. Ask yourself if that question or comment will add value to everyone in the room. If not, be quiet. If it will, share freely.
Make an impression – know the rules, strengthen your personal brand, develop relationships and navigate politics. When you are constantly thinking of others, prepared to promote your team and your project and willing to listen to others, you will be a successful, attentive team member in a matrix organization.
If you want more strategies on how to personally and professionally be more intentional with your attention, to grow your personal brand, develop your communication skills and accelerate your productivity, check out Attention Pays for many more ideas.
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Sit back and imagine your ideal, perfect workday. What would it look like? Would it be a day without meetings? Perhaps it would be a day without interruptions. Maybe your ideal workday is one where you are focused on accomplishing the monumental task that has been occupying too much headspace.
You would think paying attention would be easy, common sense really. And yet, we struggle to pay attention to the aspects that matter most. As leaders, we have one life to lead, on this one planet, and yet we juggle a multitude of roles at work, at home, and in our communities. To help us focus our attention and not split this precious resource, we need to create a simple structure for how to give intentional attention in all aspects of our life.
Apps and social media are stealing our attention. We have become obsessed with likes, retweets, and finding the perfect gif response to post.
Ever thought about the value of paying attention?
Are you constantly competing with others over your schedule? Do you feel inundated by a barrage of interruptions and distractions each day that leaves you feeling as if you worked like a crazy person all day and accomplished nothing as a result?
