In a presentation I did earlier this year at a number of regional Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) conferences I suggested that we redefine the acronym KPI. As organizations have started to measure more activities, they are deciding on which metrics should be Key Performance Indicators, the traditional definition of the acronym KPI. I suggest…
Tag: 2018
“But they want ALL the data!”; Issue #418 July 10, 2018
Earlier this year a new record was set for the largest number of cells I have seen copied from an Excel spreadsheet onto a PowerPoint slide: 3,128 cells! I couldn’t make that up even if I tried! This beat the previous records of 2,100 and 1,975. When I share this in my customized workshops I…
FinancialViz Comparing common elements; Issue #417 June 26, 2018
I recently posted a new FinancialViz makeover that illustrates a better way to compare common elements using color and position. The original visual was published in the May 2018 issue of the Globe and Mail ROB magazine and looked like this. One reason I selected this visual is because it is a good example of…
How to select information for a Gantt chart; Issue #416 June 12, 2018
No matter what area of an organization you work in, you are likely involved in projects. They may be called initiatives or some other term, but they have a clear goal, specific deliverables, and tasks that need to be done to complete the project. You will have to report on your progress to a steering…
Process/sequence diagrams with many steps; Issue #415 May 29, 2018
Sometimes you may have to discuss a process or sequence that has many steps. It is a good idea to show a process using a sequence diagram such as a shapes and arrow diagram. The challenge when you have many steps is fitting them all on the slide. Here is an example based on a…
Launch of FinancialViz.com; Issue #414 May 15, 2018
Too often financial results or analysis are reported using spreadsheets or paragraphs of text. I have worked for a number of years helping professionals in finance, treasury, and other areas use visuals to effectively communicate important messages. Often the most impactful part of my customized workshops or conference sessions are the real-world examples I show.…
Capitalization of Headlines; Issue #413 May 1, 2018
After my customized workshops, one of the key take-aways people say they will implement is to write headlines for their slides instead of titles. A headline is a summary of the key message you want the audience to understand from this slide. It forces you to be clear on that message and restricts you to…
Using video in PowerPoint; Issue #412 April 17, 2018
A number of years ago I heard a lot about how every presentation in the future would include video. It was the hot topic of the day. Video is useful in some presentations like sales or recognition presentations. As I’ve moved to deal with more data heavy presentations, I have found that video does not…
Current view on paperless handouts; Issue #411 April 3, 2018
In the last 18 months I have seen a significant shift in how participants have used handouts in my customized training workshops. In the past, a copy was printed for each participant and they took notes on the handout during the workshop. Today I see more participants not using paper handouts. Approximately 75% of the…
Using your organization’s template; Issue #410 March 20, 2018
Almost every organization has a PowerPoint template that is used to ensure consistency with branding standards such as colors, fonts, etc. Presenters are expected to use this template for every presentation. Most presenters are not given any guidance on how to use this template so they end up using one of two approaches. They may…