Good news: today I picked up my wife’s new laptop!

Bad news: I had to wait an hour to receive it.

Sadly, Apple was missing a basic feature in their merchandise pickup process – the manual override.

Let me explain.

Turns out I was not listed as an authorized user on my wife’s account. No problem, I called her up and she added me on the spot. Unfortunately, Apple’s backend system required at least 30 min to reflect the change.

No matter whom I spoke to at the store or over the phone, there was NOTHING anyone could do to expedite or approve the change.

Sigh.

This is where a manual override WOULD have saved the day.

All Apple needed was a button for someone to bypass the default process, allowing me to pick up my merchandise immediately. Instead, it ended up costing me an hour of my life.

Fortunately, in Excel there is a quick & simple method to include a manual override.

Here’s how to set it up.

Using “Annual Salary” as the example field, create 3 columns:

1. Annual Salary Manual Override
2. Annual Salary Calc
3. Annual Salary

Leave the Manual Override column empty for the user to input values, if needed.

In the Calc column, use a formula to calculate the default value.

Then (and here’s where the magic happens) in the final column, write the following formula:

=IF([Manual Override]=“”,[Calc],[Manual Override])

Translated into English:

• Check & see if this row of the “Annual Salary Manual Override” column is empty.
• If it IS empty, show the “Calc” result.
• If it is NOT empty, show the “Manual Override” value.

That’s it.

Regardless of how complex your default calculation is, you ALWAYS leave room for the user to bypass it by simply entering data in a cell.

Want some hands-on guidance on setting up your own Manual Override process? Message me with “Manual Override” and we’ll bypass the line and get straight to work.

#efficiency #respecttheirtime #userexperience #simplefix #excelwell #sharetheexcellove

A few months ago I purchased a sweet wagon from Costco. Sadly, one of the wheels was misaligned, resulting in a jerky ride.

I gave up trying to fix it, when one day I noticed the same wagon on sale for $30 off. Not only was my wagon defective, but it was also $30 more expensive than a brand new one.

When I tried to return it, I was told it was outside the 90 days return window.

Fortunately, another Costco staff member walked by and VOLUNTEERED the following:

“Here’s what you do. You buy 2 new wagons, swap out the old one for a new one, and then return both for the maximum refund leaving you paying the discounted price instead of the full price.”

This guy went out of his way to give me the Costco cheat codes so I could have the best possible outcome.

Even though Costco lost money on this deal short-term, I would argue that long-term, they more than made up for it:

1. I will shop at Costco more often, and spend more per visit.
2. I will continue to sing Costco’s praises, which could bring them new customers, or have their existing customers shop there more often, and spend more per visit.

Sounds like a win-win to me.

So how does this apply to spreadsheets?

The way I see it, if you create spreadsheets, you are in the service industry. Whether you are creating a spreadsheet for a client, colleague, or other stakeholder, it is your responsibility to VOLUNTEER relevant information that will ensure the best possible outcome for them.

For example, that means if your client requests a specific data structure or format that will make it harder for them to access their data in the future – don’t stay quiet! Instead, channel your inner Costco energy, and volunteer a better approach that improves their experience both short-term and long-term.

Want some guidance on how to adopt this strategy to your current job or project? Drop me a line with the word “Costco” and we’ll take it from there.

#themfirst #bigpicture #winwin #volunteerinfo #excelwell #sharetheexcellove

For almost an hour, I sat on the park bench and watched both my kids play in the sandbox with 2 new friends.

No kicking, crying, or snatching.

Instead, they shared a pale & shovel, made pretend food together, and I’m happy to report that nobody got sand in their eyes.

Proud papa moment.

A year ago there’s no way I could have taken such a back seat. I would have been right there in the sandbox, guiding their behavior, mainly leading by example.

I’ve come to realize that to be a successful parent, I must change gears constantly, and apply different strategies to new situations, sometimes at the drop of a hat.

Similarly, to be a successful Excel consultant, I must go through multiple stages for every project.

I start out holding the client’s hand very closely. Once I understand their requirements I enter the creative problem solving phase, and then slowly I start whittling down the solution to be more simple, clear, and efficient.

Eventually, I must completely let go and take a back seat while I let the end-user interact with the tool that I created.

Ideally they don’t just leverage the Excel tool in a singular, limited way either. If I’ve done my job well, I’ve built the tool to be dynamic and scalable, while also teaching the end-user how to expand the tool’s scope and functionality to suit their future needs.

It’s a truly beautiful progression that I feel privileged to experience regularly.

If you’re building an internal Excel tool for your team or department, or even a client-facing Excel tool, and would like some guidance on how to navigate and optimize the process, drop me a line and I’ll be happy to share my pale and shovel skills with you :).

#proudpapa #constantevolution #shiftgears #parentwisdom #excelwell #sharetheexcellove

Over the past few days Amina has been exhibiting some “cranky pants” behavior. In other words, an irritable, irrational, and erratic presence.

Even more than usual for a toddler.

My main challenge is that she is not quite old enough to identify or articulate exactly what is bothering her.

I suspect it has something to do with the change in her schedule and temporary decrease of stimulation during the day. But, all I can really do as her father is start reading between the lines, gathering clues, and making educated guesses.

Fortunately, as an Excel instructor and consultant over the past 14 years, I have some experience in this area.

Allow me to explain.

In order to be an effective instructor, I am constantly looking for signs in my students of confusion, frustration, or anything else that could be interfering with their ability to learn.

Sure, they have a great deal of responsibility here as well. But, as the chosen Excel expert, I have a sacred responsibility to help my clients learn Excel. And if I’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that my students (much like my children) won’t always tell me what’s bothering them, and it’s up to me to dig deeper.

And you know something?

I’m cool with that.

#igotyourback #crankypants #readbetweenthelines #minimysteries #parentwisdom #excelwell #sharetheexcellove

“Stum!”

That’s what my son said to me, just like that, with no context.

Any idea what he could have been talking about?

Me neither, at first. Eventually I realized he meant “solar system,” referring to a video he wanted to watch.

The challenge for me was that he was using an abbreviation with absolutely no context or other clues as to its meaning.

I can’t fault him too much, given that he isn’t even 2 years old and can’t say the full term “solar system.”

I see this ALL THE TIME with the spreadsheets I come across, whether it’s technical jargon, or highly specific abbreviations for a particular industry or organization.

Don’t get me wrong, abbreviations certainly have a value. They save time speaking the full phrase, save space on the screen, and can even communicate a familiarity with a specific topic.

More often than not however, I find abbreviations to be unnecessarily confusing.

Given that, here are 4 tips to improving the clarity of abbreviations in your spreadsheets:

1. Make the abbreviation as intuitive as possible. For example, abbreviate “Manager” with “Mgr.”
2. Provide context. For example, use the “Mgr” abbreviation inside the “Manager” tab (worksheet).
3. Provide documentation. For example, add a glossary tab or section where you spell out “Mgr = Manager.”
4. Give a verbal and/or written heads up. For example, in the body of the email with your spreadsheet attached, mention explicitly that “Mgr = Manager.”

#contextplease #succinctandclear #abbreviationetiquette #kidssaythedarndestthings #excelwell #sharetheexcellove