Interlocking Team Networks Establish Overall Structure
The old model of employees doing all the work of the organization in a single configuration is gone. Early 21st century work is performed by a network of teams with both reporting and specialized memberships populated by employees and contractors. While the formal management structure is accessible to the typical Finance/HR data systems, there is currently no way to map and track the real network of work and its leaders. Many positions identified as “staff” in the formal system are in fact key team leaders responsible for the organization’s output. Matrix reports are joined by multiple team memberships and specialized roles. And expanding the organization’s borders everywhere are the increasing numbers of contractors hired to do work once done by employees. Contractors especially can dramatically change the size and span metrics of a leadership position, not to mention the variety of connecting relationships with their differing strengths of commitment and accountability.
How big is this line manager’s team? From a 2-level line management team of 7 employees to a 4-level executive leadership organization of 25 positions with mixed membership links creating 5 additional relative leadership roles
Management hierarchy
  • Interlocked management teams, baseline hierarchy of (fiscal) accountability with singular direct reporting link
Matrix management
  • Matrix management teams interlocked cross-organizationally, secondary hierarchy of responsibilities
Special team leadership
  • Specialized resource and workflow teams required to complete the overall organizational purpose
Contractors
  • Non-employee positions may be few or many in number playing roles throughout the team organization and significantly impacting the operating network and its team leader