TeleTips Network

We’ve all created and exchanged Excel workbooks with colleagues, coworkers and business partners at one time or another. The act is not always as useful as we might hope. By paying attention to simple details you greatly improve the chances that your message will be heard and that the ensuing discussion focuses on that message. This post will list techniques for making your workbook a more enlightening and helpful tool for all involved.

Name the workbook suitably

Keep in mind who are the recipients of the workbook.  If it is for intra-company sharing only, use the subject or a project code or anything that clearly associates this file with that group of activities. If you are a vendor sharing with a customer, don’t use the customer’s name as the defining feature.  If you must, use both your company’s name and the customers name, such as “Acme proposal for Jones & son April 2010.xlsx”.  The name should make the file easy to find some time later.

Suitably name each worksheet within the workbook

The worksheet name is used if the file is saved in some other formats, so use this as a way to communicate if that happens. Also, delete any worksheets that have no data. If you don’t, it forces the recipient to check to see if data lurks on each and every unused worksheet you allowed to remain. Do the recipient a favor by deleting them. If you keep several worksheets you can color the tabs for emphasis or to make them more easily identifiable.

Use relevant names for row and column headings

This may seem obvious. But do make a conscious effort to avoid ambiguous or misleading heading names. Remember that the recipient doesn’t yet know everything you know. Give this some thought and choose good names.

Use comments in heading cells

If the heading name is not sufficiently clear, insert a comment into the cell to explain. Describe the source of the data in that column or row. If a formula is in use, explain that. Do what you can to assure that your audience understands and comprehends.

Use Text Boxes or Call-outs for lengthier explanations

The whole point of the workbook is to communicate. To the extent that you force the recipients to figure out your intention, rather than stating it clearly, you open the door for misunderstanding and delay. It’s your responsibility to communicate clearly. Use a text box when a long, verbose explanation would enlighten a tedious point. Describe your approach or analytical methodology. Provide a link to any online data sources or references, such as Wikipedia. Make it hard for the audience to be confused.

Format page headers & footers before printing

If the recipients will be looking at a paper copy, use the Page Setup feature to make a good, descriptive page header, add a date, and to put your email address in the footer. That way everyone will know where to go for updates, clarification and credit! I also like to put “page x of y” in the footer, especially if it is more than a single page.

Assign number formats suitable to the cell value

Take the time to add commas as thousands separators on large numbers, appropriate amount of decimal precision, dollar and percent signs. Your work might not look so much better with them, but it will look distractingly worse without.

Verify page breaks are well-placed

This will ensure that people focus on the content, not on some distracting mid-row or last-column page break. If possible, try to fit all the content on a single-wide page. Use landscape mode rather than portrait mode.

Number each row

This is a convenience that anticipates discussing the workbook in a large setting or via conference call, or if the audience is looking a paper copies. Using a row number is by far the easiest way to focus everyone to the same place in the workbook.

Using these techniques should become part of every workbook you create. If it does, you’ll be doing your audiences and companies a tremendous service.