Dr. Steve Safier’s, Dave Fineman’s and Laura Guerrieri’s Integrated Talent Management Strategies class was privileged to host Rick Hardin, Founder of Rick Hardin and Associates. Rick brought his rich experience in Organization Behavior & Design consulting to illustrate and debate the merits of various methods of organizational structure – the pros and cons, and an important area of focus for Human Capital leaders.
Rick offered insights supporting the argument of noted management consultant, the late Dr. David Nadler, that a company’s true competitive advantage results from its “organization,” which includes its structure, talent and culture. Rick then described the the different ways companies are typically structured and focused on the matrixed organization, which our students have been studying through readings and in our class lecture.
A matrixed structure, Rick noted, offers customization and efficiency – that is, business operations can be customized to meet different customer needs while operating in an efficient, scalable way. In contrast, as Rick explained, organizing by one dimension (e.g., geography or product or function) can limit the power of a company to meet client demands.
As is important for our HCM Masters students, Rick shared a number of “real world” examples, including an organization that had recently reorganized to better work with its customers. Specifically, the company’s international customers wanted to buy products and services that meet the highest global standards but that are delivered and deployed in ways that resonate most with local customers. A matrix organization best served their needs.
Rick proceeded to build on his discussion of structure by explaining that key to Integrated Talent Management is recognizing how organizational structure, and any changes to organizational structure, impact other human capital related programs. The class discussed how HCM practitioners need to re-align many programs to provide clarity and direction, beginning with performance expectations, moving to compensation and other rewards and extending through the rest of the Human Capital lifecycle. The discussion also surrounded how to prevent a ‘matrix gone wrong’ through continued clarity of roles and responsibilities for all stakeholders.
When asked for career advice, Rick offered, “Do what you love! Find the things you like to do and pursue them.” Sage words - thank you Rick for making the time to host a thought-provoking and insightful discussion!