An A+ Org Chart for Your A+ Team

An A+ Org Chart for Your A+ Team

Insight from Kate Eby

Putting together a great team requires a great hiring plan.

And, whether we like it or not, every hiring plan is going to require you to eventually build out an org chart.

Now, here at The Bottleneck we sweat the small stuff (I’ll unschedule a newsletter because it needs an oxford comma).

So when we make an org chart, especially if it’s going in a deck, we want it to be the best damn org chart our leadership team has ever seen.

But we also don’t want it to take that long 😅

So, without further ado, here’s your guide for a 7-minute org chart that will make you look like the company overachiever:

• Use a template: Canva makes things easy. We love easy, so we love Canva. They have a bunch of org chart templates that you can use to get things started quickly.

• Add photos: People love seeing people. It works in dating profiles, it works in advertising, and it will work in your slide deck. Add a little personality and watch your audience smile right back.

• Illustrate communication, not just reporting: Real collaborative teams don’t just talk to each other in hierarchies. Throw in some different-colored arrows (and a legend) to illustrate who talks to who day-to-day, giving a more helpful picture of how your org actually functions.

• Metrics, baby: This one will blow minds. Next to each role, note the key metrics/KPIs that that function is responsible for. You not only see the reporting structure, but how it works to deliver on the key business goals.

Learn more: How to create an org chart for your startup