Use an Organization Chart to Prove You’re Easy to Work With

Alicia Butler Pierre

As entrepreneurs, it is tempting to make our companies “look” bigger than they actually are through the use of multiple layers of management. But too many management layers means longer decision making time and can actually cause you to lose business.

The non-verbal cues of your company’s organization chart send the strongest messages. Having one that projects the wrong message is just as bad as not having one in place at all.

Believe it or not, your company’s organization chart can communicate:

How long it takes to make a decision,
Operational scope, maturity and scalability,
Amount of overhead (which directly affects end cost to your client), and
Company culture (bureaucracy vs. flat, team approach)

Now, take a look at your company’s organization chart.

What Does Your Organization Chart Say About the Way You Do Business?

U.S. Department of State organizational chart - an example of a large entity with a more complex management structure as indicated by multiple layers at the highest, federal level. Keep in mind this chart does not show the lower layers including state and city-level staff. The more layers of management, the longer it can take for certain decisions and process improvements to be made. — *U.S. Department of State organizational chart* – an example of a large entity with a more complex management structure as indicated by multiple layers at the highest, federal level. Keep in mind this chart does not show the lower layers including state and city-level staff. The more layers of management, the longer it can take for certain decisions and process improvements to be made.

Click here for tips on creating an organizational chart for your small business.

I worked with a client once who had a parent company with five subsidiaries. Although only two of the five subsidiaries were actually operational, her organizational chart did not reflect that. What it did show was a top heavy company with three layers of management. After losing multiple sub-contractor bids ($350,000 total), she eventually learned from a prime contractor that, on paper, her business did not “appear” to be as small as she verbalized. By flattening her company and showing the proper balance of managers, employees, and independent contractors she was able to convince prime contractors of her sub-contractor eligibility.

Xigent Automation Systems organizational chart - an example of a small business with a simpler, lean management structure as indicated by only two layers of management. Less layers of management indicates that decisions and process improvements can be made relatively quickly. It also means less overhead which ultimately becomes a huge cost savings to the customer. — Xigent Automation Systems organizational chart – an example of a small business with a simpler, lean management structure as indicated by only two layers of management. Less layers of management indicates that decisions and process improvements can be made relatively quickly. It also means less overhead which ultimately becomes a huge cost savings to the customer.

Remember, customers (whether they are individuals, mom-and-pop entities, government, or large corporations) want to know that it is easy to do business with you. Over the years, I’ve heard many government and large, publicly-traded company Buyers indicate that a huge part of what makes small businesses attractive as vendors is their lean structure which allows for quick decision making along with flexibility and adaptability.

Don’t ruin your chances of getting big business by projecting the wrong image.

Alicia Butler Pierre https://eqbsystems.com

Alicia Butler Pierre is the Founder & CEO of Equilibria, Inc. She invented the KasennuTM framework and software for business infrastructure and hosts the weekly Business Infrastructure podcast. She’s also the author of Behind the Façade: How to Structure Company Operations for Sustainable Success, the world’s first published book on business infrastructure.