Last 18 months has been a very interesting experience, first time I am working in a very large cross cultural software services company, with Matrix structure. The experience has been great and the crisis taught very important lessons.
- Organization Alignment - I used to think it as a management buzzword, but alignment towards same goal is most critical in a matrix structure. Everybody has to agree on what needs to be done, when and how? I learned that there are more people who can say no but there are very few who can say, yes. The agreement is most critical.
- Deal with Paradox (Cusomter Satisfaction Vs Profitability) - The worst of the lessons learned though is to deal with the inherent paradox in consulting organizations. I am mesured on customer satisfaction, but many of my counter parts in India were interested in anything other than revenue. Organization was measuring them on revenue instead of profitability. A very interesting paradox in an organization considered to be customer focused. This is the paradox of consulting business, you want a happy customer, but when you put non-billable consultants on a project, you are burning cash, you need to get that money from somewhere and software projects do get into trouble :)
- Organization Capital - During crisis situation, you need all the help you can get, specifically, to get people on board, who are nay-sayers or waiting for others to get on board. You need to know people in organization who can help you, formally and informally. If you have reputation (Good obviously), people will listen to your crys for help, otherwise, you are on your own. It is difficult to be on your own in a large organization. The a successful street fighter looses to profession sword master who understands art of war.
- Communication - Communite, Communicate , more often than not. I can point to at least 4-5 escalations from customer to my executive management or to my manager where I did not 'listen'. There is big difference between understanding what customer said and listening to what customer said. During business school, it was always said that you repeat to cusotmers what you understood, trust me, I do that now with everybody around me. Never assume, it is biggest roadblock to effective communication.
- Escalate - Your matrix matrix organizaton may not move at the pace and direction you or your customer wants it to. Esclate without fear. The customer facing team has to face the customer escalation, escalate till you know you are getting what is right for customer. The most important point is that stay focused on customer, nothing else. I learned that, the higher the rank of the manager listening to your cry, more easily customer point of view is accepted and acknoweldge.
- Ownership - It goes with alignment, but you need a sticky owenrship and accountability of customer problem with somebody who is actually going to deliver the solution to the problem. This is very critical in a matrix structure, there are many members who are responsible, but nobody is accountable. You will end up working round the clock if you do not find a owner. I am glad, I am alone, I could work round the clock for 8 months, but then I burned out.
The new job is very interesting, very much in line with my strengths, enjoying working with very competent, highly experienced and driven group of people. The new manager is an intraprenuer and is attempting to build a new business in a complex, fast growing organization. This will be an experince to learn more from. I am watching and learning the process to get business plans developed and approved. Just finished the approval from executive management, time to go and execute.
Two years in a large company, I am filling my quota for spending time at a big firm, will I be here again next Christmas?
More later,
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