Strategic Storyboarding

If it sounds too good to be true, don’t worry. It’s not. This is a fast and painless approach to creating an org chart for a business whether how large, small or tiny.

But before we jump in, aren’t you curious about how the org chart started?

Curious how you can create an instant organizational chart…without sleepless nights, dusting off the 300 pound manuals or sitting in endless meetings?

If it sounds too good to be true, don’t worry. It’s not. This is a fast and painless approach to creating an org chart for a business whether how large, small or tiny.

But before we jump in, aren’t you curious about how the org chart started?

The first real org chart is credited to Daniel McCallum, superintendent of the New York and Erie Railroad. McCallum, in 1854, was responsible for developing a tree-like structure to define the organization, reporting and communication lines.

This org chart, like many seen today, resembled a tree. Roots were the president and directing board. Branches, showed operating divisions, freight and passenger departments. And leaves, reflected local ticket and freight agents, crews and supervisors.

Historically, the org chart has been seen as essential in designing a reporting structure and defining roles/responsibilities within an organization.

Why should you bother creating an org chart?

As soon as your company or business grows beyond ONE…an org chart helps communicate and define structure.

This is a one-page, snapshot document with useful information for new hires and current employees. It’s easy to look at this single chart understand what should happen at each level in the organization.

In addition, it provides an at-a-glance map of the formal structure of your business. In an instant everyone can see who reports to whom and who is in charge of what.

But does the org chart reflect real life?

“Is This How It Really Works Around Here?”

More often than not, in our busy hectic work lives, the written org chart does not match an invisible one. That’s the one that shows “how things really work around here.”

The visible org chart defines a hierarchical structure of authority, power and decision-making. This definition is often referred to as ‘chain-of-command’ and watch out if you don’t follow it!

But what happens on the invisible or functional org chart? This is, if it were ever recorded, a diagram of how things really happen. It shows the person you really go to when things get rough. It shows the direct line to your mentor who makes time to give you their expert opinion in the hallway. It’s rarely on paper…but if it were it would show true map of active decision making.

All too often, an org chart seeks to create standards and structure…but creates rigid rules that do not reflect current flow of communication. Not a good plan.

“Get Busy…Talking!”

The only way to get out of this redundancy is to start talking.

Open up conversations and have a storyboard structure to support discussion.

If you create safety for talking about what is really going on, you have the possibility of developing a structure that supports communication and you can get immense rewards in your business.

The very nature of a chart that is written in ink, or ‘carved in stone’ is that people are afraid to mess with the order. But in fact, organizations change. And the org chart must also change to support the strategies of growth and development. What worked a year ago may not work today.

How can you instantly create an org chart for your business…and make it real, active and alive? Use a storyboard to define the living flow of communication, decision-making and structure that reflects strategy.

“Which Comes First…Structure or Strategy?”

If you already have an org chart, examine it as a starting place. Take a look, not at the content, but at the structure of your chart. Many classic org charts are built on dictates of organizational structure such as physical buildings.

For example, the business location may dictate the organizational order. This can look familiar …people communicate only with people in that location. Everyone at corporate is in conversation with only people at the corporate headquarters. (A big problem with field offices if this is the case.)

But if your goal is to have a living structure, you’ll want to marry structure with your strategy. If you want to create an org chart to reflect strategy…then you will need to un-bundle all the structure assumptions…and start to build order that reflects strategy.

Make a storyboard and start to map out what your current state is…and where you want to go.

“What Shape Is Your Thinking?”

Next, look at the shapes you are using to describe your organization. Is it a ladder, matrix, line or is it hubs, clusters and rings? Whatever shape you currently use affects your organizational communication, predictability, openness for change and degree of innovation.

Traditional org charts often reflect a formal hierarchy in an organization. Even the phrases tell the story: “top down,” “chain of command,” “reporting line”…it all sounds very linear. This type of org chart often looks like vertical hierarchy. This tends to result in “silos” and divisional competition.

Alternatively, horizontal networks tend to bridge gaps, dissolve department affiliations and encourage communication and innovation. This shape is reflected in clusters, rings and hubs…all about horizontal and interconnection.

What shape are you working with?

Very often the mental models that shape thinking are at work for individuals and also on a corporate culture level. Things that seem innocuous may actually be inside code pointing to a deeper issue.

Start to notice what kinds of language you and your peers use to refer to other departments, offices and teams.

“Build Your Org Chart With Flexible Tools”

In mapping out an org chart, use active storyboarding to build maximum flexibility. If your organization, business or outsourcing is in a state of flux, write your org chart on sticky notes. Update frequently. Send charts and diagrams to everyone involved so that structure is current and reflects new or changing information. This is especially useful during times of change and transition such as during mergers, acquisition integration and restructuring.

Whether you are new to org charts or this is your home territory, I encourage you to make time to storyboard your current org chart. You are in for a great surprise when you use fresh, creative and interactive storyboarding to develop an instant org chart for your business.

To your strategic success!