Reports to identifies a person's manager in the chart. Changing it moves that person under the new manager. Anyone already reporting to them stays with them.
Department is a separate field. Renaming a department does not move people to a new manager, and changing a manager does not rename their department.
Choose how to change a manager
- In People, find the person and choose their new manager in Reports to. The selection applies immediately. This also works from the reporting line in the phone list; see the People steps.
- On the chart, drag the person's card onto the new manager. Their existing reports move with them. Use the named drop feedback to check the destination before releasing the card.
- For several changes from an updated roster, use People → Update from spreadsheet. Review the proposed manager changes and select the ones to apply.
Undo reverses a recent people or reporting change while the chart stays open. These methods change reporting relationships, not the theme.
Choose a manager in People
- Open People and find the person whose manager needs to change.
- Open their Reports to cell. If the table is wider than the panel, scroll horizontally to that column.
- Search the manager choices, then select the correct person. Check the title beneath the name when names are similar.
- Review the new value and reporting line. The table applies the selection immediately.
Choosing Morgan Chen for Jordan Patel moves only Jordan. Casey's other reports stay put.
When the person you move has direct reports, those reports stay attached. Jordan has none here, so only Jordan moves; Casey stays under Alex.
Change a manager on a phone
In the People list, tap the Reports to line beneath the person's name and title. The Select manager dialog has a search field and the available choices. Select the correct manager to apply the change. Cancel closes the choices without changing the relationship.
After choosing Morgan Chen for Jordan Patel, the list shows Reports to Morgan Chen beneath Jordan. Casey still reports to Alex Rivera, and the people count stays at 4.
Use Undo at the top of People if you chose the wrong manager. Redo reapplies the change.
If you are already in the full person editor, use Manager there, then choose Save changes. That editor saves the details and relationship together.
Move someone on the chart
Drag the person's card onto their new manager's card. Check the drop indication before releasing, then check the resulting line. For a choice by name, or when dragging is inconvenient, use Reports to in People.
To move a whole team, move its manager. The people beneath that manager remain attached to them. In the example roster, moving Casey under Morgan also brings Jordan along: Jordan still reports to Casey, and Casey now reports to Morgan.
Compare reporting lines, not card size (Fit can change scale). Dropping Casey onto Jordan would loop the hierarchy, so Studio leaves it unchanged.
Layout changes spacing without changing managers. Fit changes how much of the chart you see.
Reorder coworkers
On the chart, drag a coworker toward the space between coworkers and use the insertion marker to choose a position. Release at that marker to change their order under the same manager. Dropping onto another person's card can change the manager instead, so check the indicated destination.
Sorting a column in People changes the list order for finding or reviewing records. It does not rearrange coworkers on the chart.
Why a manager might be unavailable
A person cannot report to themselves or to someone already beneath them. That would create a loop: each would ultimately report back to themselves. The manager picker leaves those invalid choices out, and the chart rejects invalid moves.
For example, Casey manages Jordan. Jordan cannot become Casey's manager while Jordan is still below Casey. If that is the reorganization you intend, first move Jordan to an appropriate manager outside Casey's branch, then set Casey's new manager.
The connected chart has one top-level leader. No manager is normal for that person. It is not a way to create a second disconnected top-level team while another leader is in place. People flagged Needs manager need their reporting relationship reviewed.
Check a larger reorganization
For several changes, use Update from spreadsheet in People and review the proposed updates before applying them. Match the people carefully, especially if names have changed. Uploading a roster is not a live connection to an HR system.
After any method, check:
- The moved person's Reports to value.
- Whether their existing reports stayed with them.
- The people count, so a move has not been confused with adding or deleting someone.
Use Undo to reverse a reporting edit and Redo to reapply it. The chart's current theme stays in place. See adding, editing, deleting, and Undo for the history boundaries, or fixing missing people if someone has not connected to the chart.