Managing organisational ambiguity

In today’s cross functional organisations, “Internal Marketing ” has taken on a whole new meaning.

In the past, functional battles were waged at the senior management level where the resource allocation decisions were made. Now, with cross functional teams and matrix structures having a much larger role, gaining the support of colleagues of differing levels and functional affiliation has become profoundly important. This means that persuasion, or internal marketing has a whole new role to play.

A couple of tips for building support.

  1. The old Scratch his back, scratch mine comes it the fore. If you support someone else, by speaking in favor, supplying information, or assisting in some way, the sense of reciprocity can be invoked when you need support.
  2. Invoking an individuals previously stated opinion or activity can swing support your way, as the individual has a degree of credibility invested in their stated positions.

 Be careful however, as overt use of either of these strategies can be counter productive. Like anything, common sense and fair play are important.

About strategyaudit

StrategyAudit is a boutique strategy and marketing consultancy concentrating on the challenges of the medium sized manufacturing businesses that make up the backbone of our economy. The particular focus is on their strategic and marketing development. as well as the business and operational efficiency improvements necessary for day to day commercial survival. We not only give advice, we go down "into the weeds" to ensure and enable implementation.
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