THE first time I saw a dotted line in an organizational chart a few years back, my manager explained that aside from their direct supervisor, the person also reports to someone else in the organization for a specific deliverable which affects a business need. I asked my manager: Isn’t that confusing? She said that there is a possibility for it to be confusing, especially if the managers they report to do not agree with each other.
How then do we ensure a seamless and mutually beneficial professional relationship if your position entails a dotted line? The first thing you need to understand are the similarities and differences between a solid line and dotted line manager.
A solid line manager is your main supervisor. This means they create your individual development plan and evaluate your performance based on agreed measures for your assessment. Hence, they determine if you are eligible for performance bonuses and decide whether to promote you or send you to additional training. They have a broader administrative accountability over you because in the organizational hierarchy you directly report to them. Hence, in terms of disagreements between your solid line manager and your dotted line manager, you acquiesce to your solid line manager.
A dotted line manager, on the other hand, is placed over you due to a business need. They are typically assigned to manage tasks in an interdepartmental project, or one where the involvement of another department helps to create the teamwork needed to solve a business need. A common manager handling dotted line reports are project managers. Others include heads of a line of business or an internal client who needs to report to the head company. Dotted line managers are typical of big and complex organizations, and they help to break down silos and ensure projects and tasks are done. However, their responsibilities are limited—they can assign tasks and provide feedback but the performance evaluation rests on the solid line manager.
But as it is with serving two masters, a person will favor one over the other. To help you navigate between two managers, ensure both your managers are aligned on what is expected from you. A clear understanding of the priorities of both managers will help you find a balance on how much effort is needed and help you develop an agreement on schedules and workload. Since your direct supervisor evaluates your performance, it would also be good to agree on feedback from the dotted line manager and how it feeds into your performance appraisal.
Dotted line managers tend to delegate work as if you are a direct report. When they do so, gently remind them you report to a solid line manager or refer them to agreed schedules and workload. When there is conflict, alert your direct manager right away so they can intervene when needed. Your direct manager can reinforce agreed terms of the reporting or rearrange some of your workload to accommodate their needs. The bottom line is they need to talk and agree on what is best for you and the organization. Communication is key in understanding your roles and functions under two managers.
To safeguard against being given more workload than agreed and for your direct manager to easily intervene, keep both managers in the e-mail thread or create a group chat, so they both have visibility on what you are working on and help your direct manager clarify what is assigned to you and adjust your availability. This will prevent future assignments without the knowledge of your direct manager and prevent the dotted line manager from overloading you.
Not all dotted lines are permanent. Often, these are developed due to a business need, like a project manager who has people reporting to him for status and updates in organization-wide programs and initiatives. Or, when the organization is so complex that there are multiple internal clients, or when the organization is in different geographic regions and several geographic heads report to the main office. When a dotted line becomes a necessary business need more than a project-based function, then organizations need to rethink their organization structure and make the necessary adjustments to meet the business need. Recurrent problems need permanent solutions.
When dotted lines are frequently abused, you need to be the one to set defined boundaries of your dotted line reporting, especially for managers who may not be familiar with your workload. If your direct manager and your dotted line manager do not talk, take it upon yourself to appraise both of your deliverables and set their expectations. And since the final decision in your workload is your direct manager, gently point out to the dotted line manager how much time you can spend on the assigned task and provide timelines so they can evaluate additional resources.
And when push comes to a shove, notify your direct manager right away. Ultimately, your direct manager determines how much time is spent on the dotted line reporting and better understands the function you need to perform for your role. If the dotted line manager is encroaching on your primary function, go to your direct manager. They can discuss and agree on realistic deliverables and help adjust the dotted line manager’s expectations. It will also alert your direct manager on potential issues which could be prevented if discussed sooner.
Dotted line reporting helps people understand their role and function in additional projects or responsibilities. It should be based on a business need and should be clearly documented and agreed on by all those involved. It also provides you with an opportunity to showcase your other skills, along with new opportunities for career growth. It becomes problematic when it overloads a direct report, or when a dotted line manager abuses their temporary authority. But when done right, it can maximize resources and dissolve silos to create a natural and sustainable synergy in the organization.
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