Debra was not in a good mood as she entered Johann's office for their third meeting. One of her colleagues had just been promoted and, although the guy who got it was good, she didn't think he was any better than her. Well, except at one thing, he was always playing politics - sucking up to the more senior guys and volunteering to be on any committee going.

Debra knew the type - went to the same school, belonged to the same club - she didn't have a hope against the kind of connections he had so she might as well give up. It seemed doing a good job just wasn't enough around here.

Debra and Johann work in an environment with multiple and complex reporting lines - in other words, a matrix organization. There's room to "slip between the cracks" - if a person wants to take advantage of confusion over who is managing performance; or if they can't make the necessary transition to self-management. Communication can be difficult even when there is an apparently shared language.

Read how Debra and Johann work together to identify the skills needed to succeed in a matrix.

LEARN HOW TO

• Use Emotional Intelligence (EI) to develop the specific skills necessary to thrive in a complex matrix organization
• Navigate the inevitable politics rife in so many large scale companies
• Develop the key skills required to get ahead and build an effective team - communication, influencing, coaching, negotiation, conflict management
• Reduce stress and increase your chances of success