Make an Organizational Chart in MS Word

If you are creating an employee manual, or perhaps a PowerPoint presentation to use as an employee orientation tool, you may want to include an organizational chart. Org charts can be easily created in all versions of Microsoft Word, and are powerful visual aids that illustrate relationships within your business. With an organizational chart, you can show your company's hierarchy, such as who reports to whom and what departments are connected. In addition, because of the pictorial nature of an org chart, employees can learn this information quickly.

Open a blank Word document. In Word 2007, click the "Insert" tab of the ribbon. Choose "Smart Art," and then click on "Hierarchy." Select "Organization Chart" and then click "OK." If you are using an earlier version of Word, point to "Picture" on the "Insert" menu, and then select "Organization Chart." A basic org chart will appear.

Click inside the highest box in the chart, where it says "Insert Text Here." Type the name and title of your business's top-ranking employee. Select the text and use press the keyboard shortcut "Ctrl+E" or use the "Center" button on the toolbar or ribbon to center the text. Repeat this process, filling in the remaining organizational bubbles.

Add more bubbles to your organizational chart as needed. In Word 2007, click the "Design" tab. Click on the "Add Shape" dropdown and select the type of bubble you wish to add, such as "Assistant." In earlier versions of Word, click the shape in the chart to which you want to connect another bubble. Select "Insert Shape" from the "Organization Chart" toolbar and choose the type of bubble to add.

Format the bubbles of the organizational chart. To format them all the same, press and hold the "Ctrl" key and click each shape. Right click and select "Format AutoShape." Go to the "Colors and Lines" tab. Select a color from the dropdown menu, or choose "Fill Effects" for more visual appeal. Click "OK" to apply the changes.

Add even more impact by making the org chart shapes appear three-dimensional. Select all of the shapes, pressing and holding the "Ctrl" key on your keyboard. In Word 2007, click the "Format" tab of the ribbon and choose "3-D effects." In Word 2003 or earlier, click the "3-D Style" button on the Drawing toolbar. Select the 3-D effect that you want and click on it to apply it.