Org Chart

An org chart, short for organizational chart, is a diagram of how an organization is structured: the positions or roles it is made of, the people who fill them and the reporting lines between them. It answers two questions: who does what, and who reports to whom.

The most common types of org charts

• A hierarchical org chart, also called an organizational tree, places each position under the one it reports to, from leadership at the top down to the teams. It is the most common type.
• A functional org chart groups positions by function, such as finance, sales or production.
• A matrix org chart adds a second reporting line, usually a project or a market, next to the function.
• A circle org chart nests teams inside one another. Organizations that run holacracy or sociocracy often use it.
• A photo directory shows each person with their photo, name and position.

Each type of org chart answers a different question: who reports to whom, which department does which work, who works for two managers, which team sits inside which, who is who. Pick the one that answers the question your teams ask most often.

The limits of a chart of positions

A chart of positions shows who reports to whom. It says little about the work each person actually does and leaves out the people who wear several hats as well as the teams that work across departments. It also goes out of date quickly, because it is usually drawn in Word or PowerPoint and stays as it was after the next reorganization.

Org charts built from roles

In a role-based organization, the org chart maps roles rather than positions. Each role has a purpose, a domain and accountabilities. One person can hold several roles across several teams. The chart then shows who does what, as well as who reports to whom.

In Rolebase, the interactive org chart displays your roles as nested circles, a hierarchical tree or a photo directory, and updates as soon as a role changes. You can create your company's org chart step by step.