The wonders of a spreadsheet

Chances are that if you are in the business of management, you have seen at least one spreadsheet in your life. But something that I’ve noticed in my years is that the majority of long time managers don’t possess good computer skills, let alone the ability to create spreadsheets.

Obviously this is due to a generation gap more than anything else. I was fortunate enough to still be fairly young when the computer age was dawning, and I have taught myself to use virtually any program you can think of.

But it pains me to see a lot of skilled and intelligent people in the business world stumble their way around a computer. Businesses are becoming more and more technical in today’s world, and having more than basic skills is vital to your growth.

Spreadsheets are a wonderful tool. I create them constantly. The great thing about them is that they can be used for virtually anything, but I prefer using them to track sales, expenses, and budgeting. The best thing about a spreadsheet is that it does the math and calculations for you, quickly and instantly.

If you are struggling with simple tasks such as checking your email, don’t continue to let it bring you down or worsen your productivity, do something about it. Most colleges offer classes on virtually anything, not to mention the myriad of choices available to you online.

For those who have basic computer skills already, taking a class in Excel or Powerpoint is a must. The ability to create and manipulate spreadsheets and presentations will pay in dividends in your current and future career.