Slowing Down
Inspiration for this blog post:
Reflecting on our toolbox mastery by Randy AU
Asymmetric Expectation of Gratitude: What it is, and why it’s harmful to our work by Vu Le
Re-Humanizing Technology by The Build Tank
Did you know that some companies will ask candidates to take timed Excel tests to measure their “proficiency” with the tool? Unless the skill that is being assessed is the typing speed for doing repetitive manual data entry as though it were working on widgets on an assembly line, this is one of the most ass-backwards things for a person just looking to do good work and feed their family could be put through. Spreadsheets are a cornerstone, a gateway technology, a foundation of knowledge, skill, and approach that can inform and support the way that we work and think about data & technology - all data & technology.
It is great when a person has enough experience and body memory to work fast in Spreadsheets. But that is not the skill - to move fast or within a set amount of time. The skill is the critical thinking and problem-solving to think about what one already knows how to do in the tool, how it might be applied to the situation at hand, and how to take some time to research and find other potential solutions. In fact, Spreadsheet skills are so universally learnable, usable, lovable, and transferable, they should be taught in schools like algebra. Organizations should be handing out professional development in Spreadsheet skills like candy to its employees and even to its partners and community members. Over the years there have been three standout resources for spreadsheet skills online:
https://chandoo.org/
https://exceljet.net/
https://www.benlcollins.com/
None of these resources will teach you how to pass a timed Excel test - and we wouldn’t want them to anyway. Spreadsheets are not a tool to “get things done faster” - although that can be an outcome of using them. Spreadsheets are a tool to deal with data. To look at it, to re-arrange it, to visualize it, to massage it, to transform it, to expand it, to collect it, to organize it, to argue with it, to question it, to celebrate it. These things take time and thought, not speed and animatronics.
Next time you go to do something in a Spreadsheet, try not to let speed be a factor in the work. Go slow. Think expansively. Bring in other minds. Search on Ecosia for 15-30 minutes (try not to go longer) for answers to questions or similar scenarios to yours. Try to have a conversation with the system - literally write in your cell something like “What I want to do here is pull the data from the first tab into this second tab so I can see these things next to each other, and every time there is a big difference between them make it obvious to me and send me a message about it”. Of course you can have a similar conversation with ChatGPT about what to do and probably get a right answer, though that is another way to potentially fall into a speed trap and not gain deeper understanding of the tool and your own thought process.
But mainly, ENJOY YOUR SPREADSHEETS. There can be a lot of fun in them. Personally, the idea of a class or a book (a BOOK about Spreadsheets?!?!) is about the most boring thing I can think of - and I literally love Spreadsheets and have fun working on them late into the night. But if that does it for you, OK! Find the thing that you can like about it and run with it. Ooops, no, walk with it at a slow and enjoyable pace. And if you are feeling generous, invite someone to walk along with you.
