Simplify Role Clarity With ThoughtFarmer’s Org Chart

In a small organization it’s pretty easy to identify who does what, and who reports to whom. But what about in a large organization? What about in a fast growing company? Or what about during a merger or acquisition?

Without a simple way to understand an organization’s reporting structure, how will employees find the people or information they need to correctly do their job?

As you probably already know, an org chart (organizational chart) is a diagram that displays the organizational structure as well as relationships and reports. It is an excellent way to gain an immediate perspective of all the people within the organization and their roles.

Understanding organizational hierarchy is important—not just for employees, but for an entire organization. When employee roles and organizational hierarchy are transparent, we can ensure responsibilities are allocated to the correct individual.

Some of us may have had negative experiences with org charts in the past—and rightfully so. First generation org charts were often nothing more than a PDF document that reluctantly needed updating every time there was a new employee. They also weren’t interactive, which meant there was no immediate way to directly connect with a colleague, or to update information in real-time.

Our New Org Chart

Thoughtfarmer has removed the pain associated with frustrating org charts and has replaced it with a brand new visual and dynamic organizational chart. Available in the latest release of Thoughtfarmer, it’s a welcome evolution from a traditional list view. Users can now immediately understand the structure within an organization, see relationships, as well as gain a clear understanding of who does what.

Accessing the new org chart is easy. Users can navigate to either a profile page or group page and click “View Relationships.” This link appears near the very top of group pages and in the Relationships section on profile pages. The new interactive org chart shows your manager, secondary managers, as well as any direct reports you may have. There are also opportunities to dive deeper and connect with a click as employee cards include direct contact information like phone numbers and email addresses.

Managing an org chart can be challenging—in ThoughtFarmer you can automatically sync the data with active directory,

Why Do Org Charts Matter?

If you are questioning the importance of an org chart, consider the ramifications of what happens when there is no clear understanding of an organization’s structure.

When employees don’t understand their role and/or the roles of their colleagues, they can’t effectively complete their jobs. This can create unnecessary stress, wasted time, and formation of silos.

An interactive org chart is specifically useful for new employees, as well as during significant corporate change—like a merger and/or acquisition. Scenarios like these can cause a lot of confusion and anxiety over role clarity and deciphering who a colleague may now report to.

A hierarchical display is also valuable during a potential crisis, where employees need to know who to contact, and who to potentially escalate to. When done correctly, an organizational chart illustrates the chain of commands and shows the flow of authority, responsibility, and communication.

Do your employees currently understand your organizational structure?