Matrix Management and Social Media

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I'm starting to think that matrix management is a critical skill for corporate social media efforts. That's not to suggest that companies have to start with their reorg boots on, but the combination of low budgets and cross-functional impacts suggests that a little matrix thinking could be constructive. For companies where the social media team taps the resources of multiple functional groups, you're already there.

Two data points in today's information flood reminded me of the ad hoc approach I've seen before:

  • Forrester (via RWW) found that three quarters of marketers in their recent survey have $100,000 or less budgeted for social media.

  • During today's Blogwell recap call, Lizzie Schreier of Allstate answered a question about team size by saying, "The social media team is Marcia." Others are involved, but it's not a full-time assignment.
UPS provides another data point—they've enlisted receptionists and administrative assistants in their online listening effort. The other end of the spectrum would appear to be Dell, whose well-documented strategic shift put online engagement and community at the center of a new organization. But I suspect that the Allstate example is more typical.

It makes sense, really. The challenges—and benefits—of social media touch the company across functional silos, and no one group is likely to own responsibility for all of it. If you shift from an ownership mindset to a leadership mindset, you start creating a form of matrix management, working with people who aren't assigned to the project full-time.

Look at these matrix management challenges and decide if any of them sound familiar. It strikes me as another opportunity to apply lessons learned from earlier experiences.

Update: The Allstate call is now available as a free audio download. I recommend it.


1 Comment

Hi Nathan,

Thanks for attending Lizzie's talk yesterday. I'm the Marcia that Lizzie mentioned. I am working on our various initiatives on a full-time basis, but you're right, we do take a leadership approach vs. an ownership mindset.

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About Nathan Gilliatt

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  • Voracious learner and explorer. Analyst tracking technologies and markets in intelligence, analytics and social media. Advisor to buyers, sellers and investors. Writing my next book.
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