The matrix, which consists of these two dimensions, allows the user to represent projects, decisions or activities in one of the five zones, as shown in the figure, and thus adopt a certain style of management, decision-making and leadership. If there is significant disagreement among stakeholders on what to do, but few differences over how, the project manager should anticipate conflicts in defining the scope and objectives of the project. In this case, a stakeholder “sell” strategy in the form of a business case review, cost-benefit analysis, or similar goal-oriented tools with stakeholders as a group can be effective in aligning them with a single “vision” of the project. The art of management and leadership is to have a set of approaches and to be aware of when the approach should be used. Ralph Stacey proposed a matrix to help with this art by identifying management decisions in two dimensions: the degree of safety and the degree of agreement. If there is close agreement on the scope and objectives of the project, but a high degree of uncertainty about how to proceed, the project manager should anticipate conflicts in defining the technical approach, work breakdown structure, workforce plan or project planning. In this case, a strategy of “consultation” with stakeholders in the form of walkthroughs, demonstrations, and other process-oriented tools can be effective in giving them confidence in the project. Running a business in today`s VUCA business environment (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) can be extremely confusing. Making business decisions under these conditions may seem like rolling the dice. If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes figuring out the right question. – Albert Einstein Source: Adapted by professors Brenda Zimmerman and Ralph Stacey A useful map for navigating concepts and the field of complexity, is “The Stacey Matrix”. It can guide you by proposing a method to select the appropriate management measures in a complex adaptive system according to the degree of safety and the degree of agreement on the subject in question. Providing real and perceived value to stakeholders is the main measure of a project`s success.
Therefore, effective stakeholder management is one of the keys to ensuring the success of the project. Effective project managers take into account the level of agreement and security of their stakeholders vis-à-vis the project at the beginning and plan accordingly. Fortunately, there is a tool that allows you to orient yourself in such a space and choose the most appropriate management and leadership approach: the uncertainty-disagreement framework. The model proposes to identify management decisions according to two axes: the degree of safety and the degree of agreement. Sort challenges into simple, complicated, complex and chaotic areas (45 min.) Brenda Zimmerman, Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto, Canada If there is a close consensus among stakeholders on what to do and how to do it, the project manager should reasonably expect little conflict. In this case, a strategy of “informing” stakeholders in the form of progress reports and progress updates should be effective in managing their expectations. The degree of agreement on an issue or decision within the group recognizes that organizations are social enterprises and that negotiations between constituent parties with different interests are part of their fabric. Below: Participants` post-its illustrates the placements of the agreement and certainty matrix for all – each Post-it represents an activity or program in the organization Stacey`s model takes into account two dimensions in terms of managing organizations: agreement and certainty. In the diagram above, the X axis reflects the degree of certainty, and the Y axis reflects the degree of agreement and regions representing certain degrees of agreement and certainty are plotted. For the purposes of this model, the agreement is the extent to which people in the organization “agree” on what to do, and certainty is the extent to which they “agree” on how it can or should be done. The region at the top right where disunity and uncertainty are highest is called by many change management researchers “The Edge of Chaos.” Few projects facing these two obstacles will succeed! However, the other four regions each prefer specific stakeholder management strategies.
The degree of certainty as to the outcome of a decision or action plan shall be determined by the quality of the information available […].