org-chart

Org Chart Skill

A reporting structure described in prose is hard to hold in your head; an org chart makes the hierarchy,

spans of control, and gaps obvious. This skill turns a described team into a clean Mermaid org chart —

correct reporting lines, grouped functions, and dotted lines for matrix/indirect reports.

Required Inputs

Ask for these only if they aren't already provided:

• The people / roles — names and/or titles.
• Reporting lines — who reports to whom (the manager of each person).
• Functional groups (optional) — teams or departments to cluster.
• Dotted-line relationships (optional) — matrix or indirect reporting.

If only roles (not names) are given, chart the roles.

Output Format

[Team / org name] — structure

One line on scope (whole org, one department, etc.).

flowchart TD
    CEO[CEO]
    CPO[CPO]
    CTO[CTO]
    PM1[PM - Growth]
    PM2[PM - Core]
    EM[Eng Manager]
    CEO --> CPO
    CEO --> CTO
    CPO --> PM1
    CPO --> PM2
    CTO --> EM
    EM -.dotted.-> PM2

Headcount — totals by function or level, if known.

Observations (optional) — overloaded spans of control, vacant roles, single points of failure, unclear lines.

Mermaid Rules (so it renders)

• Use flowchart TD so the hierarchy reads top-down.
• One node per person/role; manager --> report (arrow points down the hierarchy).
• Use dotted edges -.dotted.-> for matrix/indirect reports so they're visually distinct.
• Keep labels to "Name - Title" or just the title; no parentheses/quotes inside labels.

Quality Checks

• [ ] Every person/role has exactly one solid reporting line (except the top)
• [ ] Matrix/dotted relationships are shown as dotted, not solid
• [ ] Functional grouping is clear where it was provided
• [ ] Vacancies, overloaded managers, or unclear lines are noted if visible
• [ ] The Mermaid block renders without edits

Anti-Patterns

• [ ] Do not invent reporting lines that weren't given — chart only what's known, flag gaps
• [ ] Do not mix solid and dotted lines arbitrarily — solid = direct, dotted = indirect
• [ ] Do not flatten a real hierarchy into a list — show the levels
• [ ] Do not break Mermaid with special characters in names/titles
• [ ] Do not editorialize on individuals — structural observations only

Based On

Organizational charting (reporting lines, spans of control, matrix relationships), as renderable Mermaid.