Another new guy on board == question about simple charting

[glfredrick]

Hi all,

I'm just starting to get past the very rudimentary tasks that Excel can do, and I'm learning new skills via a couple of books (just ordered the tip book talked about on this site).

Right now at my workplace, I'm the best there is with any computer software, and though I have some skills in some areas, I've never utilized the spreadsheet for much other than data gathering and simple computations.

Anyway, I've designed a performance review tool for evaluating workers in my management care, and I'd like to learn how to plot the results on a quadrant. In short, the tool evaluates hourly workers in three areas -- behavioral, skill-based, and intangibles. Both the behavioral and skill based areas are quantified from 1-10, with 10 being the best. Plotting those is fairly simple -- if a person is a 3 in behavior and a 9 in skill, he will plot into area C-9 (think abc, 123, just like cells).

What I'm not quite sure how to plot is the intangibles which would move a person from one part of the quadrant to another. Let me explain... Thinking of a 4-square box, with an upper and lower half, plus a left and right half, which make up the quadrant, I'm wanting to quantify persons with skills, behaviors, plus intangibles into the right quadrant for coaching purposes.

Intangibles are things like supposed length of service (is this a student worker who will leave upon graduation?), ability to learn/assimilate knowledge, ability to lead others, etc. If a person scores high in both skills and behavior, yet has an intangible that says they will be leaving the team in 6 months, I need the quadrant to show that.

How might I go about doing that?

[darkyam]

It sounds more like a table than a chart. If so, I would recommend conditional formatting, since you only have four categories. You can use three formats for the first three quadrants, then make the background of the grid the color of the fourth quadrant.

[glfredrick]

Here is an example of what I'm trying to accomplish...

Placement on the quadrant is based on skills and behaviors.

Type of icon is based on intangibles.

Of course, the idea is for the chart to draw automatically.

[darkyam]

The only way I can think of to get different shapes in there is through VBA, which I'm not good enough at to help you with. You can get different sizes by using a bubble chart, where the size of the bubble is determined by the person's intangibles rating (I assume this data is numeric as well, from 1-10). Aside from that, I don't really have any more non-VBA ideas. Sorry.

[glfredrick]

The only way I can think of to get different shapes in there is through VBA, which I'm not good enough at to help you with. You can get different sizes by using a bubble chart, where the size of the bubble is determined by the person's intangibles rating (I assume this data is numeric as well, from 1-10). Aside from that, I don't really have any more non-VBA ideas. Sorry.

Size would work, based on the level that one scored on the intangible section.

I just used shapes as an exercise because it was the easiest way I could think of to explain what I was shooting for.

So, it would be possible to do a bubble chart that would replicate the quadrant?

[darkyam]

Here's a start. I'm not all that good with charts, but if you search, I'm sure you can find ways to add the quadrant lines. Also, you will have to add each data series and select the data for that series as the chart is. Maybe someone else reading this can make it automatically grab the next person.

[rylo]

Hi

There is some really good hints / tips / tutorials at
Peltier Tech

One shows a colored quadrant background which may be an option instead of the quadrant lines.

rylo