[techtalk] EXCEL/G-Sheets - Using a Spreadsheet for Project Management

Tue Dec 5 15:57:26 PST 2023

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Create a Gantt Chart

[Tech-Talk 27 years]

[video]<https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001f5dP1AzMxFcbJ63WOY_KX_S7aoVunTjbFsgPqSu8l8tmtY2ssGHPtxf3Ibm_qJdRDkHmBpqyqnJ5Kolb_QTSkxEANcUuxJkN8Z6r4DIWkCojOhb_GRbm-cotDZTEnda02k54Uzz4hA7BqvR5GdnVa6dKCPzCQ1LkG8pVR3EPTKRuR8gPV3z6o5mg7nM-6TjnxA1lqSK1C3sjO7ew6gy7WQ==&c=HNwkXosfLfZeqaqsz7ylH7oYozbrxA-VqIJyU1XLw6fxJCaignoNzw==&ch=-s9d2Yjnyb7to4gm1TVT2BaRQ1k75Kf00tCOYOq2eg9RMvNuPFMNWg==>

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Webinars for You

·    Dec 6: [AI] Web Tools That are Now Using Artificial Intelligence [3 pm ET for 1 hour]

·    Dec 20: [EXCEL] Create a Gantt Chart for Managing Projects and Time [3 pm ET for 1 hour]

·    Jan 10: [SOCIAL MEDIA] Instagram 101... A Beginner's Guide to Social Success [3 pm ET for 1 hour]

·    Jan 24: [ORGANIZE] Desktop Organization - Simplify Your Computer Life [3 pm ET for 1 hour]

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EXCEL/G-Sheets - Using a Spreadsheet for Project Management

Advanced

[Gantt chart]

Have you ever managed a project where you want to figure out a way to map all the tasks that need to be done in a certain timeline so that everything can be completed by a specific date?

For instance, maybe you're planning a large event. You want to plan backward from that date. You want to assign tasks based on how long they take to complete and when each thing needs to happen before the big day. For example, one item may be to design a program and allow enough time to get it to the printer to be ready for the event.

Here's a real-life instance. Linda was working on plans for a complete household move from Florida to Colorado. As you can imagine there were lots of things to do, and timing was important. She needed a way to identify each item on her to-do list and when it needed to be completed.

Before her move, she searched the web for a free or inexpensive tool to help with planning. All the platforms she found were complex, elaborate, and more comprehensive than she needed – and they were not free, nor inexpensive.

However, she found the answer in software that she already had and uses every day. With Microsoft Excel (or Google Sheets), you can create a Gantt Chart to help with project planning. Within this tool, you can generate a visual chart that displays colorful time blocks representing project tasks, time, and completion.

[Gantt chart]

Using a Gantt chart can help to break down a large project, track the progress, and help to ensure completion on time. You can even identify responsibility to others if appropriate.

This is a visual way to communicate the plans for an event, product launch, or special project. It's a tool for reporting to your manager or the team leader to show you've thought through everything and gain concurrence on the approach.

What IS a Gantt Chart?

A Gantt chart is a visual representation of a project schedule that shows the planned tasks and their respective start and end dates over a timeline.

It is named after Henry L. Gantt, an American mechanical engineer, and management consultant. He designed the chart as a visual representation of a project schedule, and it was first described in a paper titled "Work, Wages, and Profits" in 1910.

Henry Gantt's chart was initially developed to address the challenges of scheduling and controlling the production processes in manufacturing. Now this simple, bar-graph-looking image is used for any and every type of task with a timeline.

[https://files.constantcontact.com/ee1208b4001/874b17e2-4402-4409-914d-8b8dc6ab6d13.png]

Gantt Chart Elements

As you gather the items for your chart, consider these basics that you'll need to include:

·    Tasks and Sub-Tasks. NOTE: If a task is a huge amount of work, break it into several smaller, more manageable ones to keep the project moving.
·    Start Date for each task.
·    The amount of Days it will take to complete each item.
·    The Individuals responsible for each task.

EXCEL & G-Sheets: Setting up a Basic Gantt Chart

Yes, of course, both Excel and G-Sheets have Gannt chart templates because this is such a basic and straightforward way to plan.

·    EXCEL: Go to File and in the upper left corner in the template section at the top, look for Gantt. (There are a few available, some more complex than the others).

·    G-SHEETS: Go to the Template Gallery to find the Gannt form.

These templates mimic real project management software with such elements as tracking progress, responsibilities, and more. As a result, there is a bit of a learning curve.

There is another way ... using a basic spreadsheet! If you want a very simple planning document that visually shows you what to do and when, join our upcoming webinar (or watch the recording). We'll show you how to take a plain spreadsheet and format the cells so that you feel on top of your project planning.

[Gantt chart]

Join us on

Wednesday, December 20th

at 3 pm ET for

"Using Excel to Create a Gantt Chart for Managing Projects and Time"

Register to Attend Here<https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001f5dP1AzMxFcbJ63WOY_KX_S7aoVunTjbFsgPqSu8l8tmtY2ssGHPtxZoyJ-ECdIMOH9vIK_nuLLLbUY-jDYmFA_4Ob2BdSCtbaek6GsZPDwVAo2XuCsG3Kxi1hWqhldNHLq1oQgvBIM3npiNi8x-Ig9NGR3cSu8L&c=HNwkXosfLfZeqaqsz7ylH7oYozbrxA-VqIJyU1XLw6fxJCaignoNzw==&ch=-s9d2Yjnyb7to4gm1TVT2BaRQ1k75Kf00tCOYOq2eg9RMvNuPFMNWg==>

[https://files.constantcontact.com/ee1208b4001/f8f1ecc8-4884-4c21-8ed0-cf647e6db944.png]

Communications: Writing / Talking

Better Descriptions, Avoid the Obvious

How many times have you asked what some word or phrase means, only to be told the answer using the very words you used in the question?

For example: I didn't know what "Kohls Cash" meant. (The cashier had happily told me I had earned some.) So I asked, "What is Kohls Cash?"

The answer, very well intended, didn't help. The reply was, "It's cash." As if that explained the concept. I tried again and got the same answer, so I left frustrated and ignorant.

The communication point I want to make is to not use the word you're defining ... to describe or explain it.

Here's an example in the technology world (where this problem is especially apparent):

·    I was looking up: "How can I find my saved videos in YouTube?"
·    The answer was "Click on the Saved button".

Now, if I knew where the "Saved button" was I would not have asked the question. So the answer didn't move me forward in my quest.

In summary, if you want to be a good communicator, be sensitive to your explanations, making sure you don't explain a word or concept, using the very words that are being queried.

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Cheers,
Darci Hanning, MLIS (she/her/hers)
Public Library Consultant / CE Coordinator
Continuing Education Resources: https://libguides.osl.state.or.us/conted
State Library of Oregon | Library Support and Development Services
971-375-3491 | darci.hanning at slo.oregon.gov<mailto:darci.hanning at slo.oregon.gov> | www.oregon.gov/library<http://www.oregon.gov/library>
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