15 Must-Have Habits To Master Excel

This article is co-written by Jesper Martin Jensen and Anders Liu-Lindberg

Do you think Excel is a difficult program to use? Most would likely say no, yet as we use only a fraction of Excel’s capabilities it must be because we’ve simply closed our eyes to the possibilities of Excel. That’s likely also why many companies scream for better tech and tools to help run the company. If only they used the full functionality of Excel it would be a different ball game!

We believe that by implementing a set of best practices or what we call the “15 must-have habits to master Excel” you can instantly increase your productivity with 10-20% (across all Excel users in the company). The habits are not difficult to use but require a change in mindset to how you use Excel. Today, you should say  

“I’m going to work differently in Excel – I’m going to tackle any challenge I face by using the smartest way of solving it in Excel”  

If you can do that, we can promise you a significant productivity boost! Granted it won’t make you an expert overnight, but it’ll get you started on that path. 

Here are the 15 must-have habits 

The habits can be put into two buckets: 

Structure and formatting

• Performance
• KISS
• Start with the purpose
• Workbook structure
• Design, layout, and colours
• Be conscience of the user
• Be firm on versioning when developing
• Limit the number of sheets
• Use VBA code where it makes sense 

Functions and techniques

• Keep variables in an ADMIN sheet
• Use generic formulas without hardcoded numbers
• Avoid links to other workbooks
• Use Worksheet Protection
• Use Data Validation
• Use Named Ranges where it makes sense

We’ll be sure to dig deeper into each of these in the coming two weeks. Overall, though here’s what to expect if you commit to implementing these habits. At first glance, some of the habits might seem time-consuming to implement. And you’re right, they are, at first glance. But adopting these habits in your modelling process is guaranteed to save you time in the long run. 

Time-saving

Building your models as simple as possible, with frequent re-versioning, with generic formulas and without hardcoded numbers, will save you a lot of time when you need to revise or upgrade your model. Changes to your model will be easier and faster, and the risk of errors is reduced. Named ranges also make changes a whole lot easier and reduce errors. Especially when working with VBA. 

Error reduction

Error reduction is another key argument for adopting good modelling habits. The swiss-knife (using the analogy from an earlier article) has endless possibilities which are inseparably linked to the risk of errors. Habits like KISS, worksheet protection, data validation, avoiding links and keeping variables separate are all habits for reducing the risk of errors. For the developer as well as for the users. 

Satisfied users

The look, feel, and ease of use is an aspect few developers find important. But it sure is. “You only have 7 seconds to make a strong first impression…”. And that also counts for Excel models. If your model isn’t neat and well-structured your users will be guarded against the start and will be sceptical about the model's output. 

We’ve only scratched the surface of the benefits you’ll realize once you start implementing these 15 habits! 

Don’t change everything at once! 

It might sound counterintuitive to present you with a list of 15 must-have habits and ask you not to start changing all of them. However, if you’re going to be successful changing any of these habits you must change them one at a time. We suggest you take a microstep approach where each week you do a learning sprint on one habit to change. Later we’ll even provide you with an ebook with exercises that’ll support you in changing habits.

What are some sound habits that you’re using in Excel? We’d be happy to add to the list and include them in the ebook crediting you. Share them in the comments and we discuss how they help us increase our performance in Excel even further!

This was the fifth article in our Excel series teaching you how to increase your productivity working in Excel. You can find previous articles below.

Are You Ready To Power Up Your Excel Game?

Here Are The Top 7 Mistakes You Make In Excel. Should We Try And Fix Them?

I Use Excel For Everything But Should I?

Excel Is Like The Grown-Up Version Of A Kindergarten Sandbox

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Anders Liu-Lindberg is the co-founder, COO (Chief Operating Officer), and CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) at the Business Partnering Institute and owner of the largest group dedicated to Finance Business Partnering on LinkedIn with more 8,000 members. I have ten years of experience as a business partner at the global transport and logistics company Maersk. I am the co-author of the book “Create Value as a Finance Business Partner” and a long-time Finance Blogger with 40.000+ followers.