Matrix
Inspired by: X-Matrix (Lean) | Behavior: Hoshin (direction)
The Matrix connects upper-level objectives (the why) with team-level goals (the what) and the strategies to achieve them (the how). It is the visual contract produced during Planning through catchball.
Anatomy
| Quadrant | Contains | Answers |
|---|---|---|
| South | Long-term results | What does success look like? |
| West | Strategies | How will we get there? |
| North | Tactical priorities | What exactly are we doing? |
| East | Owners and metrics | Who is responsible and how do we measure? |
How It Lives
- Created during Planning (Team Owner ↔ Team Leader)
- Read during Briefing (Team Leader → Team Members)
- Reviewed during Review (Team Owner checks results per objective)
- Updated when strategies or priorities shift
Key Principle
Every dot on the Matrix represents a conversation that happened. If a tactic has no connected strategy, it is busy work. If a strategy has no connected tactic, it is a dream.
Anti-pattern: The Dead Matrix
The Matrix is created during Planning, presented during Briefing, and then forgotten until the next Review. It lives in a folder, not on a wall. No one checks whether daily work connects to it.
How to detect: Team Members cannot name the current cycle's objectives. The Board has tasks that do not trace back to any Matrix entry. The Review discovers surprises because no one was tracking progress.
How to recover: The Matrix must be physically (or digitally) visible at every Briefing and Debriefing. The Leader should reference it explicitly: "this task connects to objective X". If a task does not connect to the Matrix, it needs justification or removal.