Org Charts – Working with the People Who Fill Them

Org Charts & People

Business schools teach what org charts are used for and how to put them together, but you know what I think you can only learn through experience? How to talk to and work with the people who fill those spaces in those org charts. 

Business schools teach what organization charts are, how they are used, the different types, and how to fill them out. But you know what business owners can only learn through experience – how to communicate and work with the people who fill the org chart. In this episode, Julie shares some resources to help the top of the org chart (that’s you, business owner) better communicate with the people who fill them.

Hey there, this is Julie Bee, and you’re listening to They Don’t Teach THIS in Business School. Thanks for being here with me today! Do me a favor if you haven’t already – hit that subscribe button – that helps others discover this podcast! 

Today I’m talking about organization charts, or org charts for short.  Business schools teach what org charts are used for and how to put them together, but you know what I think you can only learn through experience? How to talk to and work with the people who fill those spaces in those org charts. 

Before I get into that, though, I want to mention my new mastermind program, the Braving Burnout program. You can check out more in the show notes, but if you’re interested – apply soon. It starts in May! And burnout ties into what I’m talking about today – if you, as a business owner, don’t know how to talk to your people or work with them…everyone is going to be burned out eventually.

Most business owners know that how you work and communicate with your people can make all the difference in their work performance and overall satisfaction with their jobs. So let’s talk about this a little bit. 

There are a lot of different types of org charts. You have the traditional hierarchy, you have flat org charts, and everything in between. I’m not going to say there’s a right or wrong org chart structure, but as business owners, we’re at the top. 

And because we’re at the top, we must be able to communicate with our people – no matter where they are on the org chart. 

PAUSE FOR CHRIS

Hey, you’re listening to They Don’t Teach This in Business School, I’m Julie Bee, and in this episode I’m talking about org charts and how business owners can successfully talk to and work with the people on them. 

There are a few tools that you can use to help you do this. 

First, assessments that explore an individual’s characteristics, strengths, and motivations. There are too many assessments to choose from, but I know assessments – if used correctly – can help business owners communicate with everyone on their org charts. 

Second, a coach or consultant skilled in this type of communication is invaluable. I believe in bringing them in early on and on a regular basis, not just to problem solve. 

Third, one of the best tools in any communication is your ears – listening. Also, observing. You can learn a lot by sitting quietly and watching what’s going on around you. You can learn how to communicate and work with others by listening to them and observing them at work. 

Finally, I believe having your mission, vision, and culture documented can go a long way in communicating and working with anyone on an org chart. That direction starts with us, the business owners. We have to be clear on those items first, and then we can share them with everyone on the org chart. 

Those four tools can really help business owners communicate and work with everyone on the org chart. Business school teaches how to put an org chart together, but communicating and working with the individuals on that org chart is something that’s learned through experience. 

That’s a wrap on this week’s episode of They Don’t Teach This in Business School. Thank you so much for listening – I really do appreciate it. I’ll be back soon with another episode, so stay tuned!