As Global Head of Research & Leadership Advisory at JRG Partners, I give clients this template constantly, so here is the practitioner’s version, ready to adapt. Growing companies often let their org structure evolve by accretion, and end up with reporting lines and roles that no longer fit. This template helps you plan your org chart deliberately, designing the structure your company needs rather than the one it drifted into.
What follows is a ready-to-use tool you can adapt to your own process, with an explanation of why each element belongs in it and how to apply it well. It is written for boards, HR leaders, and hiring executives who want something they can put to work immediately, not a theoretical overview.
What This Tool Is For
This template helps growing companies plan their organizational structure deliberately, designing the roles, reporting lines, and structure the company needs at its stage rather than letting the org chart evolve by accretion. It structures the questions, what roles are needed, how they should be organized, how the structure should evolve, so growth is supported by a deliberate structure rather than an accidental one.
Key Takeaways
- Growing companies often let org structure evolve by accretion.
- This template helps plan the structure deliberately.
- Design roles and reporting lines around what the company needs at its stage.
- Plan how the structure should evolve as the company grows.
- A deliberate structure supports growth better than an accidental one.
Why Plan the Org Chart
As companies grow, their organizational structure often evolves by accretion, roles added as needed, reporting lines that made sense once, until the structure no longer fits the company. Planning the org chart deliberately, designing the roles and structure the company needs at its stage and how they should evolve, produces a structure that supports growth rather than one the company drifted into. This template structures that planning, turning org design from accidental accretion into a deliberate exercise aligned with the company’s needs and trajectory.
Planning the Structure
- Define what the company needs: The functions and leadership the company requires at its current stage and where it is heading.
- Design the roles: The roles needed, their scope, and how remits fit together without overlap or gaps.
- Design the reporting structure: Reporting lines and the shape of the organization (flatter or deeper) for the stage.
- Assess the current structure: Where the existing structure fits and where it has drifted out of alignment.
- Plan the changes: The changes needed to move from the current structure to the designed one.
- Plan the evolution: How the structure should evolve as the company continues to grow.
Org Design Principles
- Design to the stage. The right structure depends on the company’s stage and complexity; design for where the company is and is heading.
- Fit remits together. Roles should have clear, complementary remits without overlap or gaps.
- Choose the right shape. Flatter structures suit smaller, faster companies; deeper ones suit larger, more complex ones; match the shape to the stage.
- Plan the evolution. Structure must change as the company grows; plan how it will evolve rather than letting it drift.
How to Use This Template Well
Plan the structure by first defining what the company needs at its stage and where it is heading, then designing the roles and reporting structure to fit, with clear, complementary remits and a shape (flatter or deeper) matched to the stage.
Assess where the current structure has drifted out of alignment, and plan the changes to move toward the designed structure. Plan how the structure should evolve as the company grows, so it is designed forward rather than drifting. Pair this with leadership capacity planning to size the executive team to the structure.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The common mistakes are letting the org structure evolve by accretion rather than designing it, creating roles with overlapping or unclear remits, choosing a structure mismatched to the company’s stage, and failing to plan how the structure should evolve. Avoid these by designing the structure to the company’s stage and trajectory, fitting remits together cleanly, matching the shape to the stage, and planning the evolution rather than letting the structure drift.
The Bottom Line
An organizational chart planning template that designs the roles, reporting lines, and structure the company needs at its stage, and plans how they should evolve, produces a deliberate structure that supports growth, rather than the accidental one a company drifts into by accretion. Put to work across your process, this tool turns a high-stakes, often-improvised decision into a structured, defensible one, which is precisely what leadership hiring demands.
Related Resources
For employers going deeper, see Flat vs Deep, Leadership Capacity Planning, What Is Span of Control.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Why plan the org chart deliberately?
- A: Because growing companies often let structure evolve by accretion until it no longer fits; deliberate planning produces a structure that supports growth.
- Q: What should org planning define?
- A: The functions and leadership the company needs at its stage, the roles and their remits, the reporting structure, and how the structure should evolve.
- Q: How do you choose the structure’s shape?
- A: By matching it to the company’s stage and complexity, flatter for smaller, faster companies and deeper for larger, more complex ones.
- Q: How should remits be designed?
- A: With clear, complementary boundaries so roles fit together without overlap or gaps.
- Q: Should you plan how the structure evolves?
- A: Yes; structure must change as the company grows, so plan the evolution deliberately rather than letting it drift by accretion.
![](https://www.jrgpartners.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/tanya-gallardo.jpeg")
Tanya Gallardo
Managing Director, Executive Search & AI Talent Strategy
Tanya Gallardo is the Managing Director of Executive Search & AI Talent Strategy at JRG Partners, leading C-suite and Board engagements across key growth sectors including Technology, Financial Services, and Manufacturing.
With over 18 years of experience specializing in disruptive technology leadership, Tanya is recognized as a leading authority on talent architecture for future-focused executive roles, such as the Chief AI Officer (CAIO) and Chief Digital Officer (CDO). Her expertise lies in accurately assessing the cultural fit and technical depth required to ensure a high return on investment (ROI) for critical leadership appointments.
Prior to her role at JRG Partners, Tanya held senior roles directing global talent acquisition strategies at a major publicly-traded technology firm, advising on organizational design and succession planning for emerging executive functions. She is a recognized speaker and contributor to industry events, sharing data-driven insights on executive compensation, leadership development, and the measurable business impact of C-suite talent.
