Without a doubt, Microsoft Excel is a powerful tool for performing calculations. But it’s more than that. Once you share your work, it also becomes a tool for communicating. Unfortunately though, many people who are quite adept at calculating in Excel utterly fail to present their work clearly so others can understand it. This is a shame because when used well, there’s no better way to convey data, calculations, or business projections than with a powerfully-prepared spreadsheet.

Here are a few guidelines that will drastically improve how your work is received.

Every Spreadsheet Needs a Title

Nothing says “I’m a sloppy amateur” quite like passing out a spreadsheet with no title on it. Why? The title defines the context for the entire presentation. It tells the reader what they are looking at.

Without a title, rows and columns of data mean nothing. Is your chart a table of low and high tides? Train times? Girl scout cookie sales? Inmate counts in Folsom Prison? Who knows … it’s a mystery.

Use Descriptive Captions to Define Columns and Rows

Just like your document needs a title, so do your rows and columns. As obvious as this might sound, I see spreadsheets every day without these simple but important labels. Another frustrating variation that fails to communicate are labels that are abbreviated beyond all recognition.

It is easy to forget that the person reading your document, doesn’t know the content like you do. These headers and descriptions are the key to helping your readers understand what they are looking at. Don’t leave them out.

Keep Related Data in a Single Row

A key concept in spreadsheet design is to display data in batches, where a row represents a single group of related content. For example, if you are tracking variables about different NBA players, you’d list each player’s name on the far left, and then list each bit of data in a single cell moving across the right. You’d use your column headers to identify each bit of data. So for example, you might list the name, height, weight, position, games played, field goals, field goal percentage, etc.

You wouldn’t want to display data for a single player split onto two lines. There are some situations where you might have to do this for space considerations, but generally, it’s best to avoid this.

Tag Variations by Adding Columns, Rather than by Separating the Data Unnecessarily

Lets say you run two accounts receivable reports. One for accounts that have an ongoing relationship (i.e., “open” customers) and another for accounts no longer placing new orders (i.e., “closed” customers). Should you display this data in two reports or one? My vote it to combine all the data into a single report, but then add a column labeled, “Account Status.” You could then indicate either, “open” or “closed,” depending on which original report the specific account entry originated. The value is that the data can be displayed in one consolidated report, rather than in two.

Life is a Highway

When it comes to improving your communications skills, whether via Excel or in any other format, recognize that there is a process. You won’t get there overnight. But if you are attentive to the issue, if you strive to improve and importantly, observe how your presentations are received, you will get there.

A close-up of the “m” shows the effect nicely:

I’m happy with the outcome, but regrettably, didn’t track my steps. Since then, I’ve attempted to recreate the process but can’t seem to figure out all the details. Here’s what I do remember:

1. creating a basic red-on-white Helvetica image in Illustrator
2. posting it as a 940px × 100px banner image on my sandbox site
3. doing a screengrab of the image from the website in Safari on the iPad
4. cropping it on the iPad using PhotoForge
5. opening the image in PhotoFilter, and resizing it, making it 2-3 times larger–at this point, the red in the lettering had gone from solid to splotchy
6. selecting the Oil Paint in PhotoFilter and processing the image, causing the borders of the letters to blur and saturating the splotchy spots further
7. but now, here’s where it gets hazy …

I recall applying one or more filters that made the text very dark and then using the undo slider to back off, but not fully eliminate, the effect. (PhotoForge’s slider is a cool approach to undo because it allows you to merge the original starting-point image with the processed image, rather than choose between the two.) I might have applied the Auto Gamma feature twice. Or maybe it was Stipple? Maybe a combination of the two, or perhaps something else entirely? I remember that once I got the text looking really cool, there were some blue artifacts in the white portion of the image, so my final step was removing them using the paint bucket in Photoshop.

Since attempting to recreate the image, I haven’t been able to figure out what combination of filters gave me the dark jagged edge while keeping the interior bright red. This is unfortunate since it’s  what I like most about the image. If you figure it out let me know–I’d love to be able to create more images like this in the future.

The site was designed using the Headway Theme (3.1.2) running on WordPress.

Based on the opening of this talk, I didn’t think I was going to like it yet as it progressed, I found it more and more intriguing. As an academician, Professor Peterson has devoted his career to the study of evil, which he notes is distinctly separate from tragedy. He is a great speaker and he weaves in a wide range of content throughout the lecture to end with a very specific message–that each person has an obligation to build their character on a foundation of truth, not deception. He illustrates with examples of how single individuals have had great impact for good in the world. But he also talks about the dangers of relying on belief as a proxy for truth.

His message is powerful and articulately delivered. He speaks about how great the human spirit can be when a person is willing to take on the obligation to develop a truly integrated personal character based on rigorous inquiry.

The lecture is 40+ minutes long, so it’s a bit of a commitment even just to check it out. But the first time I listened to it, I had a classic “NPR driveway moment.” I had arrived home but didn’t want to get out of the car because I had to hear what he was saying.

This method works really well for me–I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been on the verge of blissfully forgetting something when I find myself in the situation that I previously visualized and the memory just sort of drops into my mind right when I need it.

I wouldn’t recommend this as a substitute for pen and paper, but if something important comes to you while you’re on the go and you’re afraid you’ll otherwise forget, give it a try.

There are infinite paths in life and we each make our choices, whether deliberately or by default.  So this website will chronicle my efforts to choose well.

As Abraham Lincoln said, “Whatever you are, be a good one.”