Excel Row Height: Auto Expand

I just helped a friend resolve a problem with asking Excel to auto-adjust the row height of cells in a report. It seems that no matter how much text was entered into a cell, the row height would not automatically expand to display the entire text.

Even though he had indicated Wrap Text (which is a requirement) for the cell, it would not expand.

However, note that the cell with the question is actually three (3) merged cells.

Auto-adjust does not work with merged cells.

To correct the problem, I had the user select the range of cells with questions and uncheck "Merge and Center".  This resulted in the questions being forced into Column B.

Next, select all cells in Columns C and D that are now blank, right-click your mouse and select the Delete... option.

Select "Shift cells left" and click OK.

Readjust the question column to your desired width. To initially force the row heights to adjust to the data, select all of the row numbers that you want to adjust. Double-click on one of the row separators and the rows will automatically adjust to fit the contents.

That's it!  Now, if you add or delete text in any of the question cells, the rows will automatically adjust!

Tips for Organizing Files on Your Computer: Part 1 Overview

I have been working with a number of people lately who have asked me for guidance on setting up a filing system that will more easily allow them to find files easily on their computer.  The next series of posts are designed to give you some ideas on how to organize your filing system using techniques I have learned from helping clients over the years.

If you are designing a filing system for only yourself, then you may use whatever logic is familiar and comfortable to you.  But, if you are designing a filing system that must provide document access to multiple users, then you need to use logic that will enable all users, no matter what their personal filing preference, to easily find documents when needed.  The following techniques can be applied equally to single or multiple users.

To begin, if your organization uses a network you should always use the network drives as your single source of storage.  It guarantees that the files will be backed up as part of the systematic server backup, so you should never lose any documents you have created.  And if you screw one up, it gives you the ability to restore a previous version without the need to recreate it from scratch.  I have seen too many times where users store documents on their C: drive or on their desktop.  Once they are lost or corrupted, the only chance of restoration is directly related to the discipline of you manually backing up your files to an external hard or flash drive or CD.  And let’s have a show of hands to see how many of you have backed up your C: drive in the last month?

The other reason to store your documents on the network is what I call “single source storage”.  If you have documents such as employee handbooks or instruction manuals, it is imperative for a host of reasons that everyone always has access to the current copy of those documents.  Reprimand an employee for a policy breach and you may end up in court.  If you each hold up a different copy of the handbook and reference the policy definition that supports your rationale, the court can easily find judgment for the employee if it decides that the employee truly thought that their version was the current version.  You lost the case because your process for ensuring that employees always have access to the most recent version was flawed.  For the same reasons, NEVER suggest that hardcopies of documents be used for reference.  Point everyone to a single source of electronic copies, in a location they can find, to ensure that everyone will always open the most current version, even if it was just updated 3 hours ago.

In my next post, I will share techniques for Defining a Folder Structure.

Why Do I Need to Track Data in my Organization?

Understanding and managing data is critical to your organization.  You do it in your everyday life already, and you may not even realize it. Let’s look at a brief example of how you are using data today.

Your automobile is a big investment and it’s important for you to make sure it is maintained in running condition so that you can get to work, drive your kids to school functions, buy groceries, etc.  And there are many parts of an automobile that contribute to its ability to run.

You want to keep your car clean. It needs to have gasoline, oil and coolant.  It may have a radio and air conditioning to keep the interior pleasant while you drive.  But out of all of the features of an automobile, there are probably only a handful that are truly critical to keep it running.  If the cleanliness of the car is bad, it doesn’t affect its ability to start…it’s not that important (that’s why you choose less car washes in the winter).  The radio and air conditioning can be dead but it’s not critical to the main function of a car…transportation.  But if you run out of gasoline or the engine overheats, then it just stops.  You Identify those functions as critical to the success of your ability to complete your errands on-time.

The automobile manufacturers also know that those functions are critical to your automobile and have included systems that allow you to Collect information related to those functions.  They developed and included systems that tell you the current status of these critical indicators.  But they not only created them, they made them easy for you to see and understand. 

For example, the oil level is a very critical indicator of a maintained automobile.  So they include a dipstick under the hood where you can manually check the level at any time.  But this is inefficient for such an important indicator.  So they also include a gauge on the dashboard that constantly shows you the oil pressure in the system.  They put it right behind the steering wheel so it’s easy to find.  And they design them so that the needle is straight up to indicate normal pressure.  They don’t make you read the numbers like the temperature dial on a kitchen stove.  Or, they include “idiot lights” that light up only when the oil pressure is low, catching your attention only when it needs attention.

The Collection methods make it easily available and understandable for you to Monitor every time you get in the car.

When the indicators indicate a problem with your engine, you Respond by taking it to your local service garage for maintenance.

It’s the same with your organization.  There are certain resources, functions and processes within your organization that are critical to its success. If things are running smoothly, you don’t need to get involved.  But you need some type of indicators to warn you when they need attention.

This blog is designed to help you understand the criticality of identifying, collecting, monitoring and responding to those resources and processes that are critical to your organization’s success.  Please check back soon for further education and ideas.