Leading Change in a Matrix

Most large size global organisations work with a matrix structure. In simple terms, it would mean at least a functional manager and a line manager. So, for a finance person, a reporting line within finance is the functional manager and the product line she is supporting is the line. However, in todays's world, the moment we add the complexity of a country, region, product clusters, there is a possibility that stakeholders become many more, and gaining consent, even harder.

While we have seen strong shift in organization design with enhanced focus on speed, agility, empowerment etc, a large number of global corporations continue to operate with a matrix structure. Now, when we are leading change, this complexity does not help in aligning leaders and get them to speak the same language.

Have you noticed how every 3-5 years, organisations keep changing their organization structure from P&L to Global to Matrix to Regional and so on? I call it the act of bringing balance of power. Most CEOs suffer from this problem of managing balance of power within their own leadership team. Therefore these changes provide them opportunity for re-aligning the organization and pendulum keeps moving.

The Pendulum!

Have you noticed how every 3-5 years, organisations keep changing their organization structure from P&L to Global to Matrix to Regional and so on? I call it the act of bringing "balance of power".

When you are leading a change initiative and you are not the CEO, managing this balance of power and making things happen may turn out to be tough unless you become comfortable and savvy at that.

Below are my five tips for leading change in a matrix organization.

1. Do not expect your manager to fight your battle. This is the first and foremost one. We all have this wrong notion that it's easy for a leader to say that she wants a specific change to happen and everyone will follow. Leaders have multiple agenda that they are driving simultaneously. Look at it from the lens of urgent and important. They will invest their time only when it starts to build up or it's really urgent. I look at these leaders as investors who are doing seed funding. If it develops, great, they will invest more time, if not, they will wait for the right opportunity or dump it.

"Leaders are like seed funding investors. If it develops, great, they will invest more time, if not, they will move on or lose interest."

2. Create a balance of power with your stakeholders. Invite stakeholders with opposing thoughts and point of view, and facilitate that dialogue. We all run this risk of having one or two stakeholders who are loud, have strong point of view and also the capability to swing the discussion in a specific direction. Not addressing the elephant in the room is avoidance. Your skills as a facilitator will help you create a constructive dialogue in a facilitated environment where every stakeholder gets the opportunity to share point of view. More the discussion, more is the clarity. A matrix organization structure is built on the foundation of healthy debate and the entire purpose is to create solid and robust solution through various stakeholders, sometime with opposing views. You want your leaders to speak the same language when it comes to the purpose or vision.

3. Define the role with WHY, HOW and WHAT clearly. I always say that the top leader's role is to articulate WHY. Functional experts should tell us HOW and Operating team needs to articulate WHAT they need. For example, a digitisation requirement to run our operations smoothly, operations team will articulate the need. (WHAT). Top management will focus on WHY it is important so people focus on this initiative and adoption is smooth. IT and Digitisation team will tell us HOW to make it happen. The moment we start going beyond that, we will tend to get more roadblocks. As change professionals, our job is to bring clarity on WHY, HOW and WHAT through healthy dialogues and continuous facilitation.

4. Do not try to please everyone. It is almost impossible to please everyone in the organization and we should not even attempt that. Compromises in a change initiative trying to please everyone comes back to bite us often after we have completed the project and we find that it did not meet the intended outcome. But then there is always topic based disagreement which do happen and they are healthy, as long as they do not convert in to person based disagreements. While we need not try to please everyone, it does not mean being aggressive or brash. I have seen some of the most courageous people, leading change with extremely high humility.

5. Put the spotlight on others not yourself. I have seen some very senior stakeholders becoming spectators in crucial change initiatives simply because the spotlight is elsewhere. Many of these leaders either want to be in commanding position or they are not there at all. Making others look good always pay off in the form of participation. There is nothing more powerful than co-creation and sharing the spotlight with others. Collaboration is all about creating a win-win situation. A balancing act of telling, listening and co-creating can completely change the way you drive your initiatives.

I am sure you all have seen multiple examples of change initiatives in a matrix organization and have tips to share. Please do share some of your experiences and tips.

About the Author

Karunesh Prasad is the Founder and CEO of Change Et Al, a change management consulting and training company. Over the last several years Karunesh has been consulting, training and speaking on the topics of change management, talent mgt, gig economy and future of work for clients all over the world.

As former Global Head of post merger integration at GE, Global Head of Quality & Simplification at GE GBS and various CHRO roles living and working in Singapore, India, Germany, Belgium and USA, Karunesh brings in some of the most practical concepts in change management to the fore front of his training, coaching and speaking engagements. He created 4A Model of change and he uses that to enable change for his clients around the world.

Freelancing Opportunities

Register and check out curated short term and long term gigs and project opportunities at our freelancing platform and talent marketplace Bridge Et Al.

1. Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion, USA
2. Interim CFO, USA
3. Interim Lean Experts, London
4. Lean and Six Sigma experts, Singapore

Change Management Certification Training

Find out more at