The Project Management Tool Kit: 100 Tips and Techniques for Getting the Job Done Right

TEAMWORK PROCESS35Matrix Teams (Cross-Functional Teams)

What:	Building and maintaining cooperation on project teams where contributors report to different managers.
When:	Throughout a project.
Results:	Effective teamwork among team members from diverse organizations.

Determine the Need for a Matrix Team

Most organizations are organized functionally, and managers are responsible for workers with similar job descriptions—for example, marketing managers manage the marketing staff, and research and development managers are in charge of engineers. In these companies, complex projects rely on teams drawn from several functions.

A member of a matrix project team (also called a cross-functional or multi-disciplinary team) has more than one ...