Managing with a dotted line

[JazzyBBG]

Hi looking for advice pls!
I am new in role. I am in a group marketing role as the most senior marketer in the business. There are regional marketing managers. However they don't report in to me they report in to their site manager but do have a "dotted line" to me.I am there to offer strategic advice and support and ultimately raise standards. Some of the staff are great but some are not performing. However it's the attitude that is hard to deal with. Some are making it very clear I am not needed! (Generally those who do need the help). In some cases this is also being supported by their site manager. I feel like I've landed in a bit of a shit show. I'm being polite and professional to all but they just don't want to engage or take any notice of any advice. Also aware of gossip comments like "we don't need her we could save money" and "I could do that job better" - said by person who didn't apply for it and is about 3 grades junior.
Appreciate tips on how to handle? Thanks

Totally...you still need to have oversight, potentially train/develop, inform them but somebody else is 'line managing'. Frustrating.

This is fairly common in places I have worked, and in my experience the only approach needs to be via your own line manager. This is really an issue of collective strategic responsibility at the level of management above you - if they are not all "signed up" then you will never make any break-throughs. Yoru role is identified as necessary by the organisation, so they need to be positively reinforcing that fact.

I would approach this with a line manager by:

• looking at the role objectives and the necessary changes to achieve them
• identify blockages and challenges, with examples
• suggest solutions / identify what is needed for corporate management to ensure these things happen
• explain the risks to the organisation if this isn't addressed

Keep it professional - their bad behaviours are then cast not in the light of your complaints, but in the light of barriers to company success. Talk about cultures / practices / change management (or the jargon of your trade) rather than individuals.

And the other thing to bear in mind when approaching this is that it is always middle management that are the gatekeepers who resist change. I can't quite recall what it is called now, but it's a bona fide business management "thing". You can have good or bad senior management. You can have good or bad workers / cultures in the lower echelons. But the gatekeepers are the middle management in all scenarios, and no matter what great ideas the "higher ups" have, there will be no change if they haven't taken the middle managers with them. Only they can address that - you aren't in a position to do that.

Thanks both for your replies. I suppose it's comforting to know it's not just me but it's giving me total imposter syndrome and thinking why am I here?!

If they are not performing then their manager is responsible, right?

So what influence or management do you have over that person?

@AlisonDonut unfortunately I don't have any power over their line manager. I can input into annual reviews (if they follow correct process but not all do) the problem is the line managers can't even see the underperformance because they are not suitable qualified technically to be assessing this whereas I can see budget inefficiencies and over reliance on third parties amongst other issues.

Argh poor you - dotted lines in org charts are a recipe for disaster in exactly this way.
If you are able to manage upwards at all and raise this then I that may help. Please don't let this contribute to your impostor syndrome as it's inevitable in this structure and not a failing of yours.

The staff's attitude is likely not personal either but an expression of frustration at having "two bosses" and a blurring of lines on who's in charge of them.

Sorry no further advice but I hope you get it sorted.

Well then you need to measure the performance, and provide the measures it to the manager so that they can deal with it.

Don't make it about people make it about the business aims and about financial value for money.

@JazzyBBG its tough but I would be sending the line manager a monthly update on each persons performance. It doesn’t have to be onerous and can be bullet points. Three key areas

• what have they done well
• where do they need to do better
• development needs.

The good performers will be quick to do, the others you will need to invest time at first but then it will get easier.

Ask the line manger when they do monthly 1:2:1s so you can provide this before the meeting.

Be aware the Line Manager may hate this as it’s making them aware in writing of issues they have to deal with. It also gives you leverage - copies of the feedback prove you have raised issues every month.