What is line management

What Is a Line Manager?

Definition & Examples of a Line Manager

Chris Ryan/Getty Images

Line managers oversee other employees and the operations of a business while reporting to a higher-ranking manager. They play an important role in the operation of many businesses, supervising and managing workers on a daily basis and acting as a liaison between employees and upper management.

Learn more about what line managers do, their role within an organization, and how they differ from project managers.

What Is a Line Manager?

A line manager is responsible for managing employees and resources to achieve specific functional or organizational goals. Some of these include:

A bit part of a line manager’s job is ensuring that the employees reporting them are doing their jobs effectively and efficiently. Important skills for line managers to have include effective communication, active listening, the ability to prioritize and delegate tasks, leadership, and organization.

Alternate names: Direct manager, supervisor, team leader

How Line Managers Work

Line managers can be found across many types of organizations, from retail and foodservice to media and finance. They often head a revenue-generating department within a company, and they’re usually the main interface between an organization’s executive management team and its front-line workers.

Good line managers are actively involved with their team members, providing support, offering encouragement, and delivering constructive feedback on a daily basis. They directly influence employee satisfaction and engagement and, as a result, organizational productivity and even customer satisfaction.

Although senior management is involved in developing and approving a firm’s strategy, the hard work of implementing that strategy often takes place at lower levels of the organization. Line managers are critical cogs in ensuring that employees in a company implement new programs in a timely and effective manner. They’re well-positioned to identify problems with the strategy execution programs. The input of a line manager is essential for organizational learning.

Talent development is a key priority for any organization, and line managers have a good amount of control over the identification, development, and promotion of talented professionals on their teams. The next generation of line managers often emerges from these teams.

Line managers’ detailed knowledge of business processes and how the organization works can make them ideal candidates for broader general management roles. It’s common for top-performing line managers to either rise through the ranks of management or broaden their responsibilities to encompass other areas of a firm’s operations.

Line Managers vs. Project Managers

Direct the work of other employees across departmentsDirect the work of other employees in their own departmentAre responsible for administrative management of employees they directNot responsible for administrative management of employees they direct

Some managers, like project managers, are responsible for directing the work of other employees, but they’re not responsible for the administrative management of those individuals. They’re responsible for making sure that projects are done well and on time, but they don’t discipline employees, promote or demote them, or make salary adjustments.

In a typical matrix management structure, the project manager gives work direction to the project team members regardless of what department or functional group they came from. The people who run those departments and groups and manage all the individuals in them are the line managers.

What is a line manager?

Last edited Mar 2021 — 2 min read

Line managers perform an important role in the day-to-day operations of any business. What is a line manager, and how do their duties differ from other levels of management? Here’s a closer look at what’s involved.

Line managers explained

Line managers work on the front lines of a business, supervising junior staff members and reporting to upper management. Depending on the type of company, they might also be called team leaders or supervisors.

A line manager might only account for a single staff member or they may supervise an entire team. In any case, they provide the first point of contact for direct reports, acting as the go-between for senior leaders, workers, and the HR department.

The role of line managers in business

You’ll find line managers in a wide range of organisations, from major corporations to shops and restaurants. No matter the setting, the role of line managers involves acting as the liaison between the business’s frontline workers and executive management.

Senior management takes care of developing business strategies, but it’s up to the line manager to implement these in real life. Line managers develop strong working relationships with team members, actively managing and supervising them to ensure all targets are met.

In a retail setting, a line manager will often work side-by-side with floor workers. This makes them well-placed for identifying problems as they arise, bringing strategic issues to the executive manager’s attention. With a detailed working knowledge of business processes, line managers often progress to higher management roles.

Top line manager responsibilities

We’ve looked at the general role of a line manager, but what are their specific duties? A good manager will not only need to implement strategies from the top down and handle information, but also deal with people management.

Here are a few of the main line manager responsibilities:

Conduct interviews and assist with the hiring process

Communicate business objectives

Share messages from senior management

Lead team meetings

Onboard new staff with training and support

Measuring employee performance metrics

Identify and carry out corrective or disciplinary actions

Employee scheduling and monitoring workloads

From coaching to productivity, the line manager responsibilities include a far-reaching range of duties. These will depend on the industry, department, and size of the team. It’s the line manager’s job to ensure all employees are doing their jobs efficiently.

Line management skills

A good line manager needs to maximise employee performance with effective management skills. While this type of position involves working in close proximity to frontline workers, it’s not about doing the frontline work. Keeping this in mind, line management skills include the following:

Ability to delegate

Prioritisation of tasks

Attention to detail

As you can see, communication skills are probably the most important for line managers, who must effectively transmit executive messaging to frontline workers. They’re also responsible for keeping staff motivated, communicating any changes to current processes and ensuring that all staff are adequately trained.

But at the same time, line management is increasingly data-driven, with software on hand to measure performance. Hard numbers are a useful reference tool when compiling performance reports. Data can also give valuable insight into scheduling, as you can see what is accomplished within specific timeframes. Evaluating data allows managers to develop new, streamlined systems to further boost productivity within the business.

Finally, line managers must be excellent problem solvers. They keep morale high by quickly determining what has gone wrong with productivity or performance drops. Either by communicating directly with team members or analysing the data, they’re able to quickly pinpoint unusual activity patterns or slowdowns. After identifying problems, they must use their problem-solving skills to work out potential solutions and communicate new strategies both to upper management and frontline staff.

Overall, a successful line manager blends hard and soft skills to maximise their team’s performance.

We can help

Over 70,000 businesses use GoCardless to get paid on time. Learn more about how you can improve payment processing at your business today.

Who is Line Manager – Meaning, Responsibilities, Skills And Importance

December 22, 2019 By Hitesh Bhasin Tagged With: Careers

A line manager is a person or the manager who is responsible for heading a revenue-generating department. He has a vital role in an organization, and that is of executing key functions, for instance, decision-making, target setting, and policymaking.

The line manager reports to a higher-ranking manager, and his role is to oversee the operations of the business and manage employees by supervising them daily. He can be referred to as the liaison between the upper management and the employees working in the organization.

Related job titles of a line manager are

Table of Contents

Responsibilities of the line manager

A line manager is responsible for managing resources and the employees to achieve the daily and functional goals of the organization. Some of the important responsibilities include

Skills needed for the role of line manager

Line management is a position that you cannot take for granted. No doubt it is a tough job, and the manager has to be on his toes 24*7 to keep up with it.

Although it is a journey where the manager has to be open-minded and flexible to face all the challenges, still some skills are necessary as they will prove a blessing in effectively overseeing the responsibilities. Some of the job-related skills he will need are described below

1. Self-management

The line manager must have the self-confidence to understand and manage his employees. He must be an expert in self-management so that he can do whatever is required for his job-profile without being influenced by others. It is the line manager who has to maintain a viable balance between the upper management and the employees working under him, has to show the same balance, understanding, and determination while dealing with both the level of employees in the organization.

A good line manager cultivates potential, know-how, and skill through self-study and also by undertaking training programs that will help him to enhance his skills. He becomes an expert at understanding human emotions, and this ability helps him to manage his seniors and supervise his juniors in the firm.

He can easily take a step back and deliver a consistent performance that will be appreciated by one and all.

2. Communication

The main problem in any organization is the lack of proper communication channels. Sometimes the communication styles play an important role in maintaining distance between upper management and lower management. This creates a long line of misunderstandings that is harmful to every organization.

It is the line manager who has the responsibility of creating a viable communication channel where the flow of communication is smooth, clear, distinct and of course, open. Listening is an important part of communication, and this is what the line manager must be adept at. He must practice active listening techniques because when one listens, he opens his mind to both the verbal and non-verbal words and signs that others are trying to impart.

This helps him to understand the situation in a better way and seek clarity if he sees any disparity. The line manager must also have useful vocabulary and speaking skills because he has to command and direct his employees daily.

The most important skill that a line manager must possess is his ability to communicate, ask questions, seek answers and getting the full picture before making a decision.

3. Decision-making skills

The line manager occupies a unique position in an organization. He has to take orders from a senior manager and then direct his team as per the instructions. The decision-making powers related to that specific order are with him, and it is he who makes sure that the instructions are carried out most effectively. The upper management is not bothered about how the results are achieved as it is only interested in the end-game.

The workforce is diverse with different behavior. Approach and abilities and it is the line manager who is in the position to distribute work as per the skills of his employees. He knows the best and hence can make decisions about which job opportunity will suit which of his employees.

They empower every member of the team and encourage them to focus on goals to achieve the target in the best possible manner and the least possible time.

Importance of line managers

The importance of the line manager is as follows

The Roles and Responsibilities of a Line Manager

Explore This Post

Line managers balance people management with project organisation.

Listen to this article on TSW’s skills development podcast, Learn Practice Perform.

Key points

What does a line manager do?

A line manager is the first layer of management above the front line workers. They’re accountable for their department, or part in the business.

They manage one or more members of staff and oversee and evaluate employee contribution, performance and development.

Line managers are the first point of contact for their direct reports, and they liaise and relay information between senior leaders, HR and workers.

Their people management duties are on top of project organisation.

A first-line manager, a line manager and direct manager all refer to the same position. It’s a natural progression from team leader and supervisor and the first layer of middle management. They only look after employees that are one-step below them in the company structure.

The skills our apprentices learn on a Leadership & Management course can prepare them for almost anything.

Listen to our ILM Level 5 delegate Jamie Davies, talk to us about flexing his leadership muscles in the Jordanian desert, during his time as a recruit on SAS: Who Dares Wins.

What makes a good line manager?

A good line manager realises they aren’t responsible for doing the job, but for managing the people.

There are three steps to being a good manager:

You’re responsible and accountable for the success and failure of the team, which makes ‘letting go of the job’ very difficult. It’ll keep you up at night.

What is a micromanager?

Micromanagement is an overbearing and controlling management style. Micromanagers are heavily involved in day-to-day tasks and allow their team little freedom to do their jobs and problem-solve.

A dictatorship doesn’t motivate or inspire, in fact, it does the opposite.

Good managers manage the systems and processes around their people, so they have the opportunity and tools to flourish.

If you give your people power, delegate to supervisors and they see that you trust them, they’ll want to work hard for you.

Channel that nervous energy into your new managerial responsibilities and it will almost guarantee your team performs as it’s supposed to.

What Responsibilities Does a Line Manager Have?

Line managers are responsible for developing systems, handling information and reporting. They are expected to balance that with people management too. A first-line manager will:

These responsibilities will largely mean sitting at a laptop, dissecting spreadsheets, reports, performance reviews and minutes. It’s your watch, so your critical task is oiling the mechanisms around people so they can easily meet business objectives without any obstruction or distraction.

Getting the right systems in place is always a line manager’s responsibility, regardless of their specialist area, whether that’s finance, sales, marketing, or business development.

Good managers hire the right people, nurture their growth and build the environment around them so they’re compelled to stay in their role and continue to contribute.

4 Essential Manager Skills

Management skills live in crafting and changing tactics in order to bring strategies to life and achieve a vision.

On your CV, the soft skills and strengths you’d list would be:

Let’s look at what each of those entails:

#1. Analytical

Data is a powerful tool for a line manager. Analysing performance-related data gives you visibility beyond conversations with your direct reports. You don’t need to worry about bias or conflict when the numbers tell the story.

Get your hands on measurement software and programmes so you can devote yourself to analysing the findings.

Data gives you insight about what your people can accomplish within a certain timeframe, under specific conditions, for different types of project.

#2. Evaluative

Once you have systems and processes based on real performance data, you can accurately translate them into real-world actions.

Evaluative line managers are researchers. They use data as evidence, to prompt problem-solving. The data opens your mind to new ideas and your eyes to easily-fixed problems.

You can compare projects that had a heavy intervention, what happened when the goalposts moved, what the impact of training had and so on.

With information at your fingertips, there’s always leverage and evidence to justify a change of process, whether it’s a small or large adjustment.

You’ll feel excited when your detective work drives change and gives your team cause to adopt a more competitive model.

Change can hurt a workplace culture if it’s not communicated well, or when the team don’t have support, but the thorough analysis gives them confidence that any proposed changes are in their interest

If projects derail, an evaluative line manager can identify and investigate:

For example, you can identify whether daily meetings enhance, or disrupt efficiency.

Evaluative line manager’s judgements are always based on the assessment of qualities, skills and strengths of their people, against the environment they work in.

Using all the data to hand, they can diagnose pain points and suggest a considerate way forward for the team, that will still allow them to succeed and hit goals.

#3. Organised

Organisational skills support clear communication and efficiency.

Managers in command of to-do lists, planners, calendars and time management tools are firmly in control of the operation. If you’re organised, your people are clear about what’s expected of them on a daily basis and longer-term.

It often means grafting at the start of a project, so you have every team meeting, annual performance review and one-on-one booked in weeks, if not months in advance.

It structures your team’s time at work, which gives them security and the flexibility to relax into their role and just worry about the task at hand. Not distracted about whether they’re running on schedule or hitting business objectives, because you’ve got it in hand.

Being organised keeps you in control, helps you to answer questions quickly, allocate resource and hustle in a new direction if you need to.

#4. Communicative

Line managers act as translators and mediators.

There’s a cascade of communication from the director of upper function, down through middle management, to first-line managers, team leaders and supervisors.

As information cascades, it loses clarity and that’s not ideal for line managers who usually receive instructions, with very little meaning behind them.

Context can be very persuasive. Asking your team to turn on its heels with no explanation, is a difficult sell.

Line managers are therefore in the awkward situation of communicating back up the line of command to ask for meaning. It’s scary and will put your assertiveness skills to the test, but it will help your team to perform as expected.

Line managers can ask:

Armed with this information, you can make the case clearly to your team.

You don’t have time to lead, but your staff want a leader. By anticipating their questions and sourcing answers ahead of time, it shows you’re in-charge and inspires loyalty.

If you want to improve your line management skills, speak to one of the team about our Core Skills For Management course.

Need to develop your Leadership and Management skills?

Here are just some of courses we offer at TSW:

What Is A Line Manager?

If you have ever wondered what a line manager does, this is the article for you.

In this article, we will look at:

What Is A Line Manager?

A line manager’s primary function is to ensure that their team operates efficiently.

A line manager has direct oversight over a small team and is the first layer of a company’s management structure.

Their responsibilities include all day-to-day management of their team and include task allocation and maintaining quality and safety standards.

Line managers also act as a conduit between the executives at the top of an organisation’s hierarchy and the front line workers.

They are responsible for implementing new procedures and policies within their team as required by more senior managers.

The Roles And Responsibilities Of Line Managers

The duties of a line manager will vary between businesses.

However, in general, a line manager’s responsibilities will include:

1. Planning and organising work

Line managers do a great deal of planning and work allocation.

A line manager allocates work to staff members and plans work rotas to ensure that all daily duties are covered.

This part of the role also involves organising workloads in order of priority to ensure that important matters are dealt with quickly and efficiently.

2. Communicating and implementing business strategies

Line managers are responsible for ensuring that their team rolls out directives from senior staff.

The role of line manager involves a lot of communication.

For all existing policies and any new policies that they are asked to implement, a line manager will need to explain to their team:

– What the company’s aims are (see management statistics here for more details).

– How this policy fits with those aims.

– What is expected of each person in their team to achieve those aims.

While the organisation’s business strategies will usually be dictated by senior management, line managers play a vital role in implementing those strategies practically in their team.

As a line manager, if you recognise that specific front-line processes won’t work for your team, it is your responsibility to feed this back to the senior management team.

At the same time, you should provide suggestions for an amendment to the proposed process that would be practical for your team to implement and therefore meet the aims of the new policy.

3. Overseeing performance

Line managers are responsible for monitoring and evaluating the performance of their team.

As a line manager, you will collect and analyse performance data. This data will allow you to ensure that targets are hit on an individual and team basis.

As part of this task, you will carry out regular performance reviews with your team. At these reviews, you can ensure that any issues are understood and rectified as quickly as possible.

A good line manager must be able to identify and resolve problems quickly. This may involve offering guidance to an underperforming worker, or in the case of unprofessional behaviour or consistent poor performance may require disciplinary measures.

Line managers also report their team performance to more senior managers. They need to learn how to use the reporting tools that their company uses in order to do pass this information on to the appropriate people.

4. Motivating staff

Line managers need to understand what makes each member of their team tick, as they are responsible for motivating their team.

Different personalities require different approaches to get the best out of them.

One staff member may need support and reassurance to build their confidence, while another may need telling that they should ask more questions when they aren’t sure of the way forward.

Everyone is different and requires a different approach in order to feel supported. These differences can be generated by all sorts of differences between people, from life experiences to the generation they grew up in.

A line manager also sets the standards for their team. They should be a role model and demonstrate the behaviours that they would like to see consistently.

5. Providing advice and guidance

Line managers act as guides and teachers for their teams.

They act as the first point of reference for their team members who need help and use their expertise and experience to guide their team.

If a line manager identifies a gap in one of their team members’ knowledge or skills, they will then be responsible for working with the team member to fix it.

This fix may involve an external training course or just some one-to-one coaching. Each solution will be bespoke to the situation.

6. Managing staff well-being and job satisfaction

Line managers are responsible for the well-being of their teams.

Managing the well-being of their team means that line managers need to monitor their team closely. A meaningful part of the role of line manager involves working with the human resources department.

If they identify that a team member is very stressed or unhappy, they will need to proactively speak to the team member and get to the bottom of the issue.

Once they fully understand the issue, they will then work to adjust the work and/or environment of that team member (often working in conjunction with the HR department) to improve the situation.

Conversely, if a team member feels unchallenged, a line manager will need to allocate them new and more complicated tasks to keep them engaged with their role.

Although this part of the role can appear nebulous, it is vital.

Studies have shown that productivity is linked to job satisfaction. By paying close attention to their team, a line manager can substantially improve its performance.

What Skills Does A Line Manager Need?

Line management requires a broad set of skills and abilities.

1. Leadership

Good line managers motivate and guide their teams.

They set the targets for their team and provide context for those targets. A good line manager will explain how meeting (and hopefully exceeding!) these targets will help their organisation meet its overall goals.

In addition, as leaders of their team, line managers need to demonstrate the behaviours that they want their team to exhibit, like diligence, integrity, and honesty.

2. Communication

Line managers must be able to communicate clearly with their team.

They are responsible for ensuring that their team members understand what is expected of them.

To communicate effectively, a line manager will need to win the trust of their team. The ability to empathise and show compassion towards your team is essential for gaining their trust.

As the bridge between a company’s executives and front-line workers, a line manager must be good at communicating both up and down the chain of command and ‘translating’ issues into the language that people understand.

3. Organisation & Prioritisation

This responsibility means line managers have to juggle many tasks and responsibilities.

Good organisational skills are essential to ensure all of these tasks are allocated to the correct person and followed up on appropriately.

A good line manager understands how to prioritise work, placing time-sensitive tasks at the top of their to-do list without allowing less urgent tasks to become forgotten.

4. Delegation

Line managers are responsible for ensuring that their team completes all of its allocated tasks.

The role requires good delegation skills.

Line managers must ensure that workloads are clearly allocated and evenly spread. In addition, they know
when a team member is ready for the added responsibility of a new task.

5. Self-confidence

Underpinning all of the skills listed above is self-confidence.

An effective line manager must have confidence in their abilities, this often comes from previous experience of management.

Line managers must be able to make decisions and be proactive in addressing any issues they spot.

Where Are Line Managers Usually Recruited From?

Line managers are often hired from within the company.

It is usually a promotion for talented individuals in a front-line or supervisor role.

Strong performers in a team are often promoted to line manager of that team.

It ensures the position is filled by someone with direct experience of the team and the business and creates a clear career path for junior employees.

If you are interviewing for a line management position consider reading our articles on line management interview questions and on the process of applying for a line management role.

The Differences Between A Line Manager And A Staff Manager

A line manager’s primary responsibility is to monitor and maximise the performance of their team.

A staff manager’s primary responsibility is to provide technical assistance and guidance to line managers. They usually have a specialism, for example, HR or finance.

The critical difference between the two is how involved they are in front line delivery of key performance indicators.

Line managers are responsible for the delivery of key performance indicators. Creating a good environment is part of that role but only part of it.

A staff manager is responsible for creating a high-performance environment but without responsibility for the day-to-day delivery of that high performance.

Every company has a unique hierarchy. However, generally, staff managers are subordinate to line managers. A staff manager may offer advice and suggestions to team members, while a line manager usually has the final say on matters relating to team performance.

The Differences Between A Line Manager And A Supervisor

The role of supervisor is often the first step on the management career ladder.

Supervisors are generally subordinate to line managers and only responsible for the performance of people they are physically working alongside.

A supervisor will generally be put in charge of a small team who are doing the same job as them at the same time. They will use their greater experience and expertise to help their colleagues work effectively.

Supervisors will usually report to their line manager and be responsible for some of the day-to-day responsibilities of a line manager, such as motivating employees, monitoring performance and offering advice and guidance.

A supervisor differs from a line manager in the level of responsibility they hold.

Usually, a supervisor will not be responsible for the team’s overall performance, nor will they be required to make significant decisions or proactively pursue new strategies.

Final Thoughts

Line management roles require you to manage a wide range of responsibilities every day to ensure that your team performs to a high standard.

Good line managers are the difference between a successful business and a failing business.

Becoming a line manager is a big step. It’s exciting, stretching and a little scary all at the same time, but it is one that all leaders have successfully made at one time or another.

Источники информации:

• http://gocardless.com/guides/posts/what-is-a-line-manager/
• http://www.marketing91.com/line-manager-responsibilities-skills/
• http://www.tsw.co.uk/blog/leadership-and-management/line-manager/
• http://development-academy.co.uk/news-tips/what-is-a-line-manager/