Clarifying Responsibility Relationships

As a point of background data, the Management Responsibility Matrix has origins in Linear Responsibility Charting (LRC). A review of the sparse business literature available on this subject indicates that the concept described herein is a significant departure from LRC.

The purpose for posting the name of the individual assigned above each position title is that, when identifying relationships between organizations, it is often easier for people to think in terms of the persons with whom they have contact, rather than impersonal position titles.

If it becomes necessary to specifically identify an organization under a particular manager, this information may be placed on the matrix in the “Remarks” area.

This number was decided upon after considerable trial and error and has proven suitable for most levels of organization analysis.

One with the capability to work effectively across a wide range of organizational interests and deal with a variety of management systems.

Matrix charts do not approach legalistic precision. It must be remembered that an interface symbol applies to the task description generally; a specific subtask may have a somewhat stronger or weaker relationship.

Experience gained in actual MRM applications was that almost no conflicts or misunderstandings had to be resolved at the next higher level. Every effort was made by the individuals involved to avoid taking the matter “upstairs.”

For the MRM “package” to be operationally effective it must be kept updated, preferably on a quarterly basis. Changes should be relatively few and modifications on the charts can be controlled in the same manner as initial developments. A number of reserved columns should be placed within each department's area along the matrix to minimize the requirement for form re-design due to organizational realignments.

Supporting functional and staff departments were depicted at the director level or above. This was done to keep the form down in length. When it was necessary to specifically identify a particular organization within one of these departments, the information was placed under “Remarks.” Also for the sake of brevity, individual subcontractors, associate contractors, and government agencies were likewise specified under “Remarks.”

This is true with major government procurements in the aerospace industry. These efforts involve coordination of thousands of specialists and numerous outside organizations. Also characteristic is that they are moved at a rapid pace, subject to continual changes, and must be responsive to stringent government requirements.

In the opposite vein, the matrix “no-escape” methodology forces decisions to be made to the extent that even reluctant managers must actually “manage” in this respect.

Increased knowledge of the interaction of organizational components provides several advantages. The most important is this improved capability to mesh effectively the numerous “subsystems” which interface to form the management operation. In most management situations, this area interface between organization / subsystems is the least understood. Many an “organization breakdown” results not so much from the lack of clarification and understanding of responsibilities within individual organizations, but between these organizations.

Two of the MRM's key benefits are illustrated here: Visibility and simplicity. On a few single sheets of paper, eleven or twelve in our AJ and DSV examples, the matrix package can summarize masses of information and transform lengthy, intricate wording into a form that can be seen and comprehended quickly and easily.