solidline/dotted line

[unpakwon]

Please help me understand the following in bold.

Eunan is marketing manager for medical decices in Ireland. He has a solidline (direct) report into the global head of the marketing function in the US; he also has a dotted line to the Irish general manager for local issues and a dotted line to the medical devices product line organization. He has priorities from each of these three organizations and sometimes they conflict.

I know the literal meanings of the above two words. Do they each refer to "directly report to the global head....." and "indirectly report to the Irish general manager..."? In other words, is Eunan a subordinate under direct control of the global head, and also a subordinate under indirect control of the Irish general manager?

Thank you.

 

[Anglika]

Please help me understand the following in bold.

Eunan is marketing manager for medical decices in Ireland. He has a solidline (direct) report into the global head of the marketing function in the US; he also has a dotted line to the Irish general manager for local issues and a dotted line to the medical devices product line organization. He has priorities from each of these three organizations and sometimes they conflict.

I know the literal meanings of the above two words. Do they each refer to "directly report to the global head....." and "indirectly report to the Irish general manager..."? In other words, is Eunan a subordinate under direct control of the global head, and also a subordinate under indirect control of the Irish general manager?

Thank you.

This relates to a schematic description of a company. In this, those who report directly to someone above them and are answerable to them will be linked by a solid line; those who are connected to another person, but not necessarily under their authority, are linked by a dotted line. They may have to report to this person, but will not be answerable to them.

They are not necessarily subordinate.

 

[unpakwon]

That settles it! Thank you.

 

[vil]

Hi unpakwon,

To facilitate your proper understanding the mentioned in your original post keywords as "solid line reports", "dotted line reports","directly reports", "conflict" etc. I indulge in the luxury of appending a few words to the mentioned above.

The General manager of a company must balance the perspectives of all of his or her direct reports, solid and dotted line. As you walk down the corridor from the General manager's office, you will see the office of the Controller, Marketing, Sales, Engineering, Operations, and Human Resources. Each functional manager reporting to the GM must try to simultaneously represent the view of their functions yet work as part of the management team to optimize the whole. It's an inherent conflict that some manage better them others. General Managers become particularly worried about direct reports who become too "tribal," that is too focused in their team to the exclusion of the division, because they worry that they are not working for the whole company and they also worry whether or not employee is promotable. Those that do their functional jobs best can clearly articulate the impact of any potential decision in their team and then on the whole division so that all of their peers and the GM can understand, and then they take their functional hats off nd recommend what is best for the division and company. Not easy.

Because of this, the General Manager has to lean particularly on two clotted line reports that have no agenda other than that of the company "finance and human resources".

What is a dotted line reporting relationship?

It means that person (to whom you have the dotted line reporting relationship) doesn't write your performance review or decide if/when you get a pay rise etc but you do have to please that person. For example, a corporate recruiter may report to the HR (human resources) manager but have a dotted line relationship to the Manager Director of the area that he/she recruits for. It's important that you maintain a good working relationship with the dotted line person; if you don't it will come back to your manager and make that person's life uncomfortable and they will hold you accountable for keeping that person happy with your work. Hope this make sense.

Regards.

V.

 

[unpakwon]

Wow! You have made my understanding more perfect.

Thank you for the kind explanation. :-D

 

[vil]

Hi unpakwon,

Welcome!

Happy New Year.

Regards.

V.

 

[rewboss]

Good answer, vil, but you mean "DOTTED", not "CLOTTED".

The only thing I know that is commonly clotted is clotted cream, made by gently heating milk for extended periods. A line made of a row of dots is dotted.

 

[vil]

Hi rewboss, Thank you for your fair criticism. I have made 6 identical errors. It is most likely that I have to replace my old glasses for new one or be more concentrated by work. (the latter is preferable to) Unfortunately I know a further thing that is commonly clotted, namely "blood". (I am definitely incorrigible adherent of black humor. Happy New Year. Regards. V.