Before I kill someone… or myself… is there anyone out there who knows how to lengthen an organizational chart connector? I need to make it visually clear that individual sales people report directly to the General Manager, but if I just make them “subordinates” Word and Powerpoint put them on the same level as actual managers. IOW, I need them on the third line, visually under manangers, but clearly reporting directly to the top guy. Man, I hope that makes sense. I had a beer at lunch because I just couldn’t take it anymore!
Sorry. When all else fails, right-click and see what you get? If that fails, punt? (Yup, I know I’m not helping.)
I try to avoid doing anything with Word or Powerpoint’s org charts, or drawing tools at all for that matter. They are just not well designed. I use Visio for that sort of stuff. I know there’s some decent free software out there that’ll work better, but I don’t know what they are. Maybe someone will come in with more ideas.
You know what? A free Visio-type package is something I never even thought of. I have a blindspot with problems sometimes, and will try to get something that won’t work TO work, when it would be so much easier to just punt (like you said!) and use a different tool.
So, I’m off to search for a free Visio-type tool. If anyone knows of one they’d recommend, could you let me know?
I would use Excel before I would use Word. While they appear to have the same drawing options Excel will allow finer movement of objects. Also, if you group stuff together with the grouping tool then you can treat the entire group as a single object so resizing is easy to do.
Will do. I also downloaded a 60-day trial of Visio. Really, I’d only need Visio for this one project, so I hope it’s helpful. OTOH, if my bosses ask me to do something, they should be willing to pay for the tools to do it right, but I digress.
I will try Excel tomorrow and see if it’s a less I’m-gonna-pull-my-hair-out-when-can-I-start-drinking experience. In other news, I know I can use Publisher for this, but that means I have to add every connector, every shape, and with several locations and a couple of hundred employees… Well, lemme just say they’re aren’t enough G&T’s in the world…
If you use Excel I would start by making opening up the drawing tool bar, making a text box the size you want and then copying it as needed so you have the same size box. When you’ve connecting them all the way you like you can group them by holding the shift key down and clicking on each one until you have them all highlighted. then right like and choose group. This will create a single object that you can move around and stretch.
FWIW, I use powerpoint, with rectangles and arrow connectors for all my org chart needs. I find it very easy, you can position people wherever you want to and the arrows magically sort themselves out 90% of the time.
Visio isn’t brilliant at doing Organisation charts - I find it easier just to use the flow diagram stencils. This allows you to position things as YOU want - not how the software thinks you should.