In The Leadership Framework the role of the MoR is to build trust in the system of management. They build trust by ensuring their direct reporting managers provide effective leadership to their teams, with the consistent application of policies and practices within the unit. They bring a wider perspective to the people management issues faced by the immediate manager.
The MoR also prepares for the future by identifying and assessing capability, mentoring their SoR through development plans and ensuring appropriate succession. Ideally the accountabilities of the MoR are to:
1. Ensure consistency and quality of leadership for their staff-once-removed. That is, they ensure their direct reporting managers perform their roles effectively. They do this by:
A. Linking vertical and horizontal role relationships in their team of teams to ensure collaboration and alignment
B. Coaching their direct report managers on their leadership effectiveness
C. Shaping the workplace culture and setting expectations of behavior for all managers in the business unit
D. Reviewing managerial decisions of their direct reports as part of performance assessment
2. Ensure fair treatment. They do this by:
A. Providing objectivity for decisions affecting their staffonce-removed (SoR)
B. Ensuring consistent application of policies across the business unit
C. Deciding appeal outcomes
3. Build capability. That is, they ensure the future capability of the organization. They do this by:
A. Bringing a wider perspective of the organization to identify future opportunities and role requirements
B. Designing structure at the SoR level
C. Assessing the potential of SoRs for current and future roles
D. Deciding on promotion/demotion/dismissal of SoRs
4. Integrate the work of their team of teams. That is, they ensure their team of teams can work together productively. They do this by:
A. Setting the context for work of the business unit
B. Aligning the work of the team of teams
C. Establishing systems of work that integrate the end-to-end processes of the business unit
D. Ensuring their managers collaborate constructively to achieve the overall plan of the business unit
MoRs do not coach SoRs for their current role, this is the role of the manager. They are accountable for the SoRs career development.
MoRs do not assign tasks to SoRs, this is the role of the manager.
MoRs do not undermine the role, accountability, authority or the relationship of the SoR with their manager. They try to enhance and encourage a strong, two-way, trusting, working relationship between the manager and his/her team members.
These three roles of individual employee, manager and manager-once-removed work together to achieve the organizational goals and deliver productive working relationships based on clarity and systemic trust and fairness. It is this strong core that drives productive work and it runs though the organization as a chain.
Working with Specialist/Cross-Functional Roles
One of the biggest relationship issues managers have in an organization is working with specialists and cross-functional roles, such as technical specialists and planners or corporate functions such as finance and human resources (HR) departments. This usually occurs where the parties do not have a clear understanding of the nature of their separate, but complementary roles, accountabilities and authorities.
Line manager roles and specialist/cross functional roles are different. A line manager has the authority to assign tasks directly to direct reporting team members. They are the only roles that can assign tasks to their team members. The manager is also the only person who can hold team members to account for their individual performance effectiveness. These roles are defined by the working relationship associated with them, that is, they are called Task Assigning Role Relationships (TARRs). They are the vertical roles in an organizational structure.
Specialist/cross-functional roles can be thought of as horizontal working relationships. They are roles that support the line, as individuals or as corporate functions, by providing expertise or specialist services. Specialist and cross-functional roles cannot assign tasks to a manager or the manager’s team members. They are however, authorized to do specific work with employees, including managers. These roles have complementary accountabilities to line managers and they are called Task Initiating Role Relationships (TIRRs). These roles:
Common examples are roles in human resources, risk management, information technology (IT) and finance. These roles have authorities to initiate tasks or provide services on request, but cannot directly assign work to others through a direct reporting relationship.
Specialist roles are established to assist managers with elements of their technical or programming work as in the diagram above, or they may work with the manager and the rest of the team to improve outcomes. In both cases, the line manager retains his/her direct people management accountabilities and the accountability for the output and behavior of the team.
When assigning authorities, they are to be set at the minimum level required to perform the role. Managers with such direct reports must: