Strategic Responsibility Quadrant (SRQ) For Dynamic Roles and Responsibilities

Over the past decade, I have gained extensive experience in managing large teams across different companies. One challenge that I consistently encountered was explaining and communicating complex competency matrices that involved multiple roles and overlapping responsibilities.

For example, balancing code expectations for Team Leads amidst scarcity, multiple project assignments, and time constraints.

Once a team lead asked me, "Am I expected to code for <50% or more of my time?"

The answer of the above question isn't this as simple as you expect. Without knowing the current state of projects, time allocations, business priorities and engagement of the Team Lead who asked it, you can't justify a generic expectation set for Team Lead.

So here is how I used this framework to make it clear for people to understand their roles and responsibilities clearly.

Strategic Responsibility Quadrant

Strategic responsibility quadrant is a powerful tool for understanding the responsibilities of any role within an organization at a given point of time.

You can visualize how different roles within an organization might fit, based on the nature of their responsibilities and the time frame in which they operate.

Here is a brief explanation of each quadrant -

For instance, a CEO might find themselves operating frequently in the "Future and Planned" quadrant, while a customer service representative might find themselves in the "Present and Chaotic" quadrant more often.

The quadrant also underscores the importance of balance: too much time spent in any one quadrant could lead to neglect of important tasks in the others.

It's important to note that the allocation of responsibilities in the quadrant can change based on the specific expectations and requirements of the role.

Ultimately, effective management and leadership involve understanding and navigating all four quadrants.

Going back to the questions of Team Lead.

Answer : You might spend more time coding in the "Present and Planned" and "Present and Chaotic" quadrants because of the need of the hour or business priorities but you should communicate the impact of this change on the future-quadrant tasks so that stakeholders is well aware of the impact.

Lets understand this with CEO's roles and responsibilities as per SRQ but it could also take a different shape based on the situations.

Lets look at the role of an Software Architect as per the SRQ.

In summary, the "Strategic Responsibility Quadrant (SRQ)" offers a comprehensive and flexible tool for understanding and organizing responsibilities within any role.

By using it, individuals and teams can gain a clearer picture of their roles, prioritize tasks, and plan their activities more effectively, ultimately leading to better performance and results.

Thanks,

Sanjay

Dated : 14th May 2023