We recently received this “Chart Focus” email from McKinsey Quarterly and found it a bit perplexing. We generally love McKinsey charts for their clarity of message, unbiased presentation, and clean design — but this one missed the mark by leaving the viewer with more questions than answers because of the lack of context.
Accessibility is a topic that tends to get short shrift in business. Which is too bad. For if business information is inaccessible to those who need it (employees, partners, investors, etc.) because of process, format, or channel, it is often the business that suffers the most.
An easy way to make your information more accessible is through color choice in charts and graphs.
Financial data is hard enough to analyze and comprehend without any visual distractions. And while preparers of financial communication think they are highlighting/enhancing data by making it more colorful, they’re really just upping the distraction level.
An example of the jarring effect of color on financial data can be seen in a recent investor presentation from Bombardier, a Canadian aerospace company with a good growth story but in need of some help in visually telling it.
Charisma is undoubtedly a coveted trait in business, but what about the downside of charismatic leadership? What happens when charisma misleads?
Too often, the results of strategic planning efforts fall within the “too vague to execute” realm or the “too specific to be flexible” when the inevitable challenges and opportunities emerge during the plan’s execution.
It’s not personal, it’s business. However, most mergers fail to live up to their potential because of a critical but difficult-to-define intangible — cultural fit.
