Latest posts

Below are the most recent articles or resources I’ve published. If you are looking for help on a specific topics, it would best to look at the topics in my Articles archive as I have grouped my recent and best articles by topic there.

  • How to use a single Excel stacked bar chart for multiple diverging bar charts to report variance (planning a complex chart in Excel)

    One of the visuals I show in my FinancialViz courses is a multiple diverging bar chart that can show variance between actual and budget and actual and last year. This can also be used for actual and relative variances as well. I create it using a stacked bar chart and scatter with straight lines charts.…… Continue reading

  • Hybrid Event Lesson 10: Introduce the remote attendees to the people in the room

    This article shares one of the lessons I learned when planning and running a hybrid class reunion event in May 2022. Read the introduction and see the other lessons in this series here. Lesson One of the issues with hybrid meetings is how to build a connection between the people in the room and those…… Continue reading

  • Hybrid Event Lesson 9: Have multiple cameras for views of the room and the presenter

    This article shares one of the lessons I learned when planning and running a hybrid class reunion event in May 2022. Read the introduction and see the other lessons in this series here. Lesson One of the issues I identified early in planning for the hybrid reunion event was that I wanted the people attending…… Continue reading

  • Excel Chart Tip: Add a goal or target line to a bar chart

    When you are showing ranked data in a bar chart you may want to add a goal or target line to easily identify those with performance above the goal and those below the goal. Instead of drawing the line on top of the chart, build the target or goal line as part of the chart…… Continue reading

  • Hybrid Event Lesson 8: Separate content and meeting control

    This article shares one of the lessons I learned when planning and running a hybrid class reunion event in May 2022. Read the introduction and see the other lessons in this series here. Lesson In the event I was running each laptop only had its own screen, I didn’t have any extra monitors connected to…… Continue reading

  • Hybrid Event Lesson 7: Create a custom screen background

    This article shares one of the lessons I learned when planning and running a hybrid class reunion event in May 2022. Read the introduction and see the other lessons in this series here. Lesson When you are switching content in a hybrid meeting the screen may sometimes not have an open app on it. What…… Continue reading

  • Excel Chart Tip: Add a CAGR line callout to a column chart

    When you are reporting sales, shipments, clients served, or any measure where you want to show the growth rate over the period of time along with the values in each period, a column chart with a CAGR line callout can be a good visual to use. Instead of drawing the line on the chart and…… Continue reading

  • Hybrid Event Lesson 6: Consider a second screen close to you

    This article shares one of the lessons I learned when planning and running a hybrid class reunion event in May 2022. Read the introduction and see the other lessons in this series here. Lesson When the screen you are connected to is at a distance from you, as it often is in a meeting room…… Continue reading

  • Use the INDIRECT function to create similar charts in Excel quickly and easily

    Recently I’ve been sharing a technique in my client training that increases the payoff for making the effort to create a meaningful chart in Excel. Often we have results for different locations, regions, products, or scenarios to show. We don’t have to compare them to each other, but, for example, each region needs to report…… Continue reading

  • Summer 2022 in-person and hybrid presentation setup: bringing virtual presentation advantages to hybrid and in-person meetings

    I recently delivered my first in-person training sessions in two-and-a-half years. When I was planning the delivery I chose to incorporate the advantages of virtual presentations by using a new setup with equipment I had not used before. In this article and video I will review my current setup and the decisions I made. Use…… Continue reading