Create a Dotted-Line Manager in Lattice

Permissions and visibility for a dotted-line (secondary) manager.

What is a dotted-line manager?

A dotted-line manager is a user who is an additional manager to a user in Lattice but is not their primary manager shown in the Org Chart.

To create a dotted-line manager, follow the steps listed below:

1. Create a dotted-line manager attribute
2. Apply the custom attribute to employees
3. Configure what visibility to give the dotted-line manager

Create a dotted-line manager attribute

1. Navigate to Admin > Organization > People > User attributes.
2. Click Create custom attribute.
3. Choose Relationship as the attribute type.
4. Add a custom attribute Name.
5. Under Visibility, choose who can see the custom attribute.
6. Click Add attribute.

Apply the custom attribute to employees

You must apply the custom attribute to employees via either CSV or manually.

Note: Dotted-lined managers will not have visibility into their assigned employees until visibility has been set up.

Apply the custom attribute via CSV

To bulk change the custom attributes of many employees at once, admins can upload a CSV. In the CSV, be sure to have a column for the custom attribute you want to change and that all of the values for each employee are valid options for that custom attribute. To upload a field that is a custom relationship, use that user's email address in Lattice to designate the relationship in the CSV. 

Learn more in Manage Custom User Attributes.

Apply the custom attribute manually

1. Navigate to Admin > Organization > People > Employees.
2. Find the employee you would like to give another employee visibility into.
3. Click on the ellipsis (...) > Edit profile to the right of that employee's name.
4. Under the Custom section, add the employee you want to grant visibility to. For example, suppose I want to give Jack manager-type visibility into Preston's profile. In that case, I will want to 1) click in to edit Preston's profile and then 2) add Jack's name under the "Dotted Line Manager" custom attribute I created.
5. Click Save.

Configure what visibility to give the dotted-line manager

1. Navigate to Admin > Organization > People > Permissions > Custom relationships.
2. Click Edit next to the associated attribute. 
3. Choose one of the seven visibility options for the custom relationships:
   • Visibility into private Updates
   • Visibility into private Goals
   • Visibility into manager-level custom attributes
   • Visibility into reviews
   • Create and view private Feedback
   • Create and view Growth plans
   • Visibility into context panel and recommended talking points in 1:1s
4. Click Save.

Note: The employee assigned as the dotted-line manager will be able to view the relationship by navigating to My team.