How to Create an Org Chart in Excel

Building an org chart is one of the best ways to clarify who does what on your team, and you don’t need any special software to create one. Microsoft Excel has powerful built-in tools that make it easy to map out your company's structure. This guide will walk you through two effective methods for creating a professional-looking org chart right within a spreadsheet.

Why Create an Org Chart in Excel?

While dedicated diagramming tools exist, using Excel has some major advantages. For starters, almost everyone has access to it and knows the basics, which means you don't need a new subscription or have to learn a new tool. It’s a familiar environment.

Furthermore, Excel offers a surprising amount of customization. You can easily adjust colors to match your brand, change shapes to signify different role types, and embed the chart directly into other reports or presentations. A few key benefits include:

• Accessibility: Excel is part of the Microsoft Office Suite, a standard tool in most workplaces.
• Ease of Use: The SmartArt feature provides a point-and-click interface that does most of the heavy lifting for you.
• Flexibility: You can create a simple chart in minutes or a highly detailed, custom-designed one if you need more control.
• Integration: Your org chart lives alongside your other data, making it easy to copy into a PowerPoint slide or a Word document.

Method 1: Creating an Org Chart with SmartArt (The Easy Way)

For most situations, Excel's SmartArt feature is the fastest and simplest way to create a polished org chart. It handles all the alignment and connector lines automatically, letting you focus on the people and their roles.

Step 1: Insert a SmartArt Graphic

Start with a blank Excel sheet. Navigate to the Insert tab on the Ribbon, find the "Illustrations" group, and click on SmartArt. This will open a gallery of different diagram types.

Step 2: Choose the Hierarchy Layout

In the SmartArt gallery window, select the Hierarchy category from the list on the left. You’ll see several org chart layouts to choose from. A good starting point is the first option, simply named "Organization Chart." It provides a classic top-down structure. You can also choose one with circles for pictures if you want to add headshots later. Once you’ve made your choice, click "OK."

Step 3: Add Your Team's Information

When you insert the graphic, a basic structure will appear on your sheet, along with a Text Pane on the left. This pane is the easiest way to build your chart. If you don't see it, just click the small arrow on the left edge of the SmartArt box.

Simply start typing names and titles into the bullet points. Each bullet point corresponds to a box in the chart. To create new levels, use your keyboard:

• Press Enter to add another box at the same level (e.g., another team member reporting to the same manager).
• Press Tab to demote a box, making it report to the one above it (creating a subordinate).
• Press Shift + Tab to promote a box, moving it one level up in the hierarchy.

This approach lets you quickly structure your entire team from top to bottom without having to drag and drop a single box.

Step 4: Customizing Your Org Chart

Once your structure is in place, you can focus on the aesthetics. When your SmartArt is selected, two new contextual tabs will appear on the Ribbon: SmartArt Design and Format.

• SmartArt Design Tab: This is for big-picture changes. You can change the entire color scheme at once, apply visual styles (like 3D effects or subtle shadows), and even switch to a different hierarchy layout on the fly.
• Format Tab: This tab gives you granular control. You can select an individual box (or multiple boxes by holding Ctrl and clicking) and change its fill color, outline thickness, or add effects. You can also customize the text font, size, and color here.

Adding and Removing Roles

Need to adjust your team? No problem. Right-click on any shape in the diagram to bring up a context menu. Go to Add Shape and choose to add one "After," "Before," "Above," or "Below." You can also simply delete a role by selecting its box and hitting the Delete key.

Method 2: Building an Org Chart Manually with Shapes

If SmartArt feels too restrictive, or if your organization has a non-traditional structure (like a matrix or flat organization), building the chart manually with shapes offers complete freedom.

When to Choose the Manual Method

Opt for the manual approach when you need:

• A completely custom layout.
• To include unique connectors or grouping of roles.
• To add more detailed information inside each box than SmartArt easily allows.

Step 1: Insert Your Shapes

Navigate to the Insert tab, click on Shapes, and choose a shape for your roles. A simple rectangle or rounded rectangle works well. Click and drag on your sheet to draw the first shape. To keep things consistent, you can simply copy (Ctrl+C) and paste (Ctrl+V) this shape for every role.

Step 2: Add Text and Format the Shapes

To add a name and title, just select a shape and start typing. Excel will automatically place the text inside. From the Home tab, you can adjust the font, size, and alignment just like you would with any cell. Use the Shape Format tab to change the shape's fill color and outline.

Step 3: Connect the Shapes

This is the most critical manual step. Go back to Insert > Shapes and select a connector line (the "Elbow Arrow Connector" is perfect for org charts). When you hover your mouse over a shape, you’ll see small grey dots appear on its border. Click on a dot on the manager's shape and drag the line to a dot on the subordinate's shape. Using these connection points ensures that if you move a shape later, the connector line will stay attached and adjust automatically.

Step 4: Align and Distribute Your Shapes

A messy, misaligned chart is hard to read. Excel's alignment tools are your best friend here. Select multiple shapes by holding Shift or Ctrl while you click them. Then, go to the Shape Format tab and find the Align tool.

• Align Top / Middle / Bottom: Use this to make sure all shapes in the same row are perfectly level.
• Align Left / Center / Right: Use this for shapes in the same column.
• Distribute Horizontally / Vertically: This is a powerful feature that automatically creates equal spacing between three or more selected shapes.

Using these tools takes a manually built chart from looking amateur to professional in seconds.

Tips for an Effective and Readable Org Chart

Regardless of which method you choose, a few best practices will make your org chart more useful.

• Keep It Simple: Avoid information overload. Stick to essentials like name, title, and maybe department. You can link to a separate document or contact list for phone numbers, emails, and responsibilities.
• Use Consistent Formatting: Use one color for each level of the hierarchy, or a different color for each department. Consistency makes the chart intuitive and easy to scan.
• Choose the Right Layout: For wide organizations with many people reporting to one manager, try a "Hanging" layout in SmartArt to save space.
• Keep It Updated: Organizations change. Set a reminder to review and update your chart quarterly, annually, or whenever significant team changes occur.

Final Thoughts

Creating a company org chart in Excel is an effective way to document your business’s structure, offering both a quick-and-easy SmartArt solution and a fully customizable manual method. Whether you need a simple diagram for a presentation or a detailed map of your entire organization, Excel has the tools you need to get it done.

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