Taking Ownership in a Matrix Organization featuring BP PMO Director Achilles Young

Large Medtech organizations are complex by design. There are multiple teams with shared responsibilities and competing priorities, and somewhere in the middle of all that, problems still need to get solved.

In this Medtech Snapshot episode, Achilles Young puts a spotlight on what it actually takes to operate in a matrix environment.

He frames it in a way that’s hard to forget. Think of it like doubles in pickleball. You don’t control every shot, but you’re still accountable for the outcome. Success depends on how well you communicate, how clearly roles are understood, and how much trust exists between teammates.

That’s where most breakdowns happen.

Not because people don’t care. But because they rely too heavily on passive communication. A couple of emails. Maybe a Teams message. And when there’s no response, the work just… stops.

Achilles challenges that mindset directly.

Ownership doesn’t look like waiting. It looks like action. Picking up the phone. Walking over. Creating a real conversation that uncovers what’s actually blocking progress.

Because once things escalate, the problem isn’t just the work anymore. Now trust is on the line too.

It’s a simple shift. But in a matrix organization, it makes all the difference.

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