Storytelling Exercise

You need to prepare a quick dashboard for a meeting with the CEO and other top officials in the organization in a

few hours. Three years ago you were asked to start tracking distribution of performance ratings in the

organization of 100 employees to determine if there were any problems or concerns. You have spent the past

year really focusing on this trying to help managers and employees understand the importance of a better

distribution of ratings.

You asked your analyst to prepare you some information for your meeting, but you weren’t very specific with

what you wanted so she did the best she could. Go through the information and with the paper and markers

provided, create a mockup of a dashboard of what you’d want to cover in that meeting. Focus on:

1. What’s important?

2. How are you going to show it?

3. Are there actions that need to be done?

4. What are the real takeaways?

Other tips:

Don’t use every piece of data

Mix up your graph types

Don’t dive too deep, unless it’s important

What is the story you are trying to tell?

Organization

Sections

Ops

Emergency Services

Maintenance

Finance

Accounting

Contracts

Budgets

Engineering

Civil

Mechanical

Electrical

HR

Recruiting

Training

Generalist

Race

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 55% 60% 65% 70%

% of Total Number of Records

Native American

Pacific Islander

Asian

Hispanic

African American

Caucasian

11.00%

13.00%

68.00%

1.00%

3.00%

4.00%

Racial Distribution of Organization

% of Total Number of Records for each Race. The data is filtered on Year Year, which keeps 2016.

Year / Performance Rating

2014 2015 2016

Outstand..Exceeds FullyMeets

Outstand..Exceeds FullyMeets

Outstand..Exceeds FullyMeets

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

Number of Records 31

26

43

41

37

22

28

20

52

Ratings by YearPerformance RatingOutstanding

Exceeds

Fully Meets

Sum of Number of Records for each Performance Rating broken down by Year Year. Color shows detailsabout Performance Rating.

Race / Year

African American Asian Caucasian Hispanic Native American Pacific Islander2014

2015

2016

2014

2015

2016

2014

2015

2016

2014

2015

2016

2014

2015

2016

2014

2015

2016

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

Number of Records

4

4

4

6 632

5

5

1 1 11

1 1

2 2

2

14

26

28

23

2317

1737

19

41 1

6

72

2

55

1 1 1

1 1

1 1

1 1

3

Ratings by RacePerformance RatingOutstanding

Exceeds

Fully Meets

Sum of Number of Records for each Year Year broken down by Race. Color shows details about Performance Rating.

Race Year of Year Division

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28

Number of Records

AfricanAmerican

2014 Engineering

Finance

HR

Operations

Asian 2014 Engineering

Operations

Caucasian 2014 Engineering

Finance

HR

Operations

Hispanic 2014 Engineering

Finance

HR

Operations

Native American2014 Finance

Pacific Islander 2014 Finance

HR

Operations

1

1

1

1

3

2

2

2

11

11

13

44

1

6

6

3

7

7

7

5

5

1

1

1

1

1

3

3

1

1

1

1

2014 Race/Division RatingsPerformance RatingOutstanding

Exceeds

Fully Meets

Sum of Number of Records for each Division broken down by Race and Year Year. Color shows details about Performance Rating. The view is filtered on Year Year, which keeps 2014.

Race Year of Year Division

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28

Number of Records

AfricanAmerican

2015 Engineering

Finance

HR

Operations

Asian 2015 Engineering

Operations

Caucasian 2015 Engineering

Finance

HR

Operations

Hispanic 2015 Engineering

Finance

HR

Operations

Native American2015 Finance

Pacific Islander 2015 Finance

HR

Operations

4

1

11

1

1

1

1

2

11

11

14

4

4

4

6

3

3

2

5

5

9

9

1

1

1

1

3

2

2

1

1

1

1

2015 Race/Division RatingsPerformance RatingOutstanding

Exceeds

Fully Meets

Sum of Number of Records for each Division broken down by Race and Year Year. Color shows details about Performance Rating. The view is filtered on Year Year, which keeps 2015.

Race Year of Year Division

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28

Number of Records

AfricanAmerican

2016 Engineering

Finance

HR

Operations

Asian 2016 Engineering

Operations

Caucasian 2016 Engineering

Finance

HR

Operations

Hispanic 2016 Engineering

Finance

HR

Operations

Native American2016 Finance

Pacific Islander 2016 Finance

HR

Operations

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

3

2

11

2

1113

10

1

6

6

8 3

3

3

2

2

11

1

1

3 2

2

1

1

1

1

2016 Race/Division RatingsPerformance RatingOutstanding

Exceeds

Fully Meets

Sum of Number of Records for each Division broken down by Race and Year Year. Color shows details about Performance Rating. The view is filtered on Year Year, which keeps 2016.

Tenure

2 4 7 10 12 15 17 19 22 24 31

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Number of Records

4

4 4

44

41

1

1

1

1

1 1

1

1

1

1

1

1 1

1

1

11 1 1 1 1 1 1

6

3 33

3

3

7

7

7

2

22

2

2

2

2 22

2

55

Ratings by Tenure OpsPerformance RatingExceeds

Fully Meets

Outstanding

Sum of Number of Records for each Tenure. Color shows details about PerformanceRating. The data is filtered on Division, which keeps Operations.

Tenure

1 2 4 5 6 7 9 12 16 17 18 21 22 24 31

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

Number of Records

4

4

4

1

1

1 1

1

1

1 1

1

1 1

1

8

3

33 3 33

2

2

22 2

2

2 2 2 2 2

Ratings by Tenure EngineeringPerformance RatingExceeds

Fully Meets

Outstanding

Sum of Number of Records for each Tenure. Color shows details about Performance Rating. The data is filtered onDivision, which keeps Engineering.

Tenure

1 2 3 4 5 7 8 10 12 15 16 17 18 20 21 23 24 25 26

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Number of Records

4

4

4

111

1 1

1

1

1

1 1

1

1

1 1

3

3 3

3

3 3 3 3

2

22

2

2

2

2

2

2

22

Ratings by Tenure FinancePerformance RatingExceeds

Fully Meets

Outstanding

Sum of Number of Records for each Tenure. Color shows details about Performance Rating. The data is filtered on Division, which keepsFinance.

Tenure

2 3 4 5 7 9 11 14 16

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Number of Records

1

1

1 1

1 1

333

7

2 2

2

2

2 2 2

Ratings by Tenure HRPerformance RatingExceeds

Fully Meets

Outstanding

Sum of Number of Records for each Tenure. Color shows details about Performance Rating. The data isfiltered on Division, which keeps HR.

Division / Year

Engineering Finance HR Operations

2014 2015 2016 2014 2015 2016 2014 2015 2016 2014 2015 2016

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Number of Records

4

1

1

1

1

3

3

2

2

1 1 1

1 1

3 3

2

2

1

1

3

2

2

1

3

3

2

2

2

5

All Manager Performance Ratings by DivisionPerformance RatingExceeds

Fully Meets

Outstanding

Sum of Number of Records for each Year Year broken down by Division. Color shows details about Performance Rating. The data isfiltered on Level, which keeps Manager. The view is filtered on Year Year, which keeps 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Performance Rating / Year

Exceeds Fully Meets Outstanding

2014 2015 2016 2014 2015 2016 2014 2015 2016

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

Number of Records

4

6

8 8

7

2

10

6

9

Manager Performance Ratings by YearYear of Year2014

2015

2016

Sum of Number of Records for each Year Year broken down by Performance Rating. Color shows detailsabout Year Year. The data is filtered on Level, which keeps Manager. The view is filtered on Year Year,which keeps 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Division / Year

Engineering Finance HR Operations

2014 2015 2016 2014 2015 2016 2014 2015 2016 2014 2015 2016

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Number of Records

4

4

6

7

5

5 5

9

9

11

11

3

3

7

7

5

5 5

4

1

16

3

3

2

2

5

14

11

18

20

20

12

32 2

All Non-Manager Performance Ratings by DivisionPerformance RatingExceeds

Fully Meets

Outstanding

Sum of Number of Records for each Year Year broken down by Division. Color shows details about Performance Rating. The data isfiltered on Level, which keeps Employee. The view is filtered on Year Year, which keeps 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Performance Rating / Year

Exceeds Fully Meets Outstanding

2014 2015 2016 2014 2015 2016 2014 2015 2016

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Number of Records

33

22

35

24

34

44

14

21

13

Non-Manager Performance Ratings by YearYear of Year2014

2015

2016

Sum of Number of Records for each Year Year broken down by Performance Rating. Color shows detailsabout Year Year. The data is filtered on Level, which keeps Employee. The view is filtered on Year Year,which keeps 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Year / Performance Rating

2014 2015 2016

Outstand..Exceeds FullyMeets

Outstand..Exceeds FullyMeets

Outstand..Exceeds FullyMeets

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

Number of Records

14

14

1817

12

25

18

18

23

10

12

19

11

13

23

15

29

9

All Ratings by GenderGenderF

M

Sum of Number of Records for each Performance Rating broken down by Year Year. Color shows detailsabout Gender. The view is filtered on Year Year, which keeps 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Year of Year Performanc..Division

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Number of Records

2014 Outstanding Engineering

Finance

HR

Operations

Exceeds Engineering

Finance

HR

Operations

Fully Meets Engineering

Finance

HR

Operations

4

44

3

3

3

5

5

12

3

3

72

2

5

9

4

4

4

1

6

2

5

2014 Ratings by Division/GenderGenderF

M

Sum of Number of Records for each Division broken down by Year Year and Performance Rating. Color shows details about Gender. The view is filtered on Year Year, which keeps 2014.

Year of Year Performanc..Division

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Number of Records

2015 Outstanding Engineering

Finance

HR

Operations

Exceeds Engineering

Finance

HR

Operations

Fully Meets Engineering

Finance

HR

Operations

1

6 3

3

3 2

2

2

4

1

68

3

3

7

5

1110

11

8

32

5

2015 Ratings by Division/GenderGenderF

M

Sum of Number of Records for each Division broken down by Year Year and Performance Rating. Color shows details about Gender. The view is filtered on Year Year, which keeps 2015.

Year of Year Performanc..Division

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Number of Records

2016 Outstanding Engineering

Finance

HR

Operations

Exceeds Engineering

Finance

HR

Operations

Fully Meets Engineering

Finance

HR

Operations

44

1

1

1

33

3

4

4

1

68

3

2

13

66

33

75

9

2016 Ratings by Division/GenderGenderF

M

Sum of Number of Records for each Division broken down by Year Year and Performance Rating. Color shows details about Gender. The view is filtered on Year Year, which keeps 2016.

Section Year of Year

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Number of Records

Accounting 2014

2015

2016

Budgets 2014

2015

2016

Civil 2014

2015

2016

Contracts 2014

2015

2016

Electrical 2014

2015

2016

EmergencyServices

2014

2015

2016

Generalist 2014

2015

2016

Maintenance2014

2015

2016

Mechanical 2014

2015

2016

Recruiter 2014

2015

2016

Training 2014

2015

2016

4

4

4 1

1 3

3

22

44

6

3

2

2

22

5

4

1

1

6

6

3

22

5

4 1

1

1

6

5

4

13

22

14

13

1010

6

7

2

2

2

4

1

11

1

2

2

1116

8

8

8

3 7

2

4

44

4

1

33

2

5

4

4

22

13

2

2

2

2

Ratings by SectionPerformance RatingExceeds

Fully Meets

Outstanding

Sum of Number of Records for each Year Year broken down by Section. Color shows details about Performance Rating. The view is filtered on Year Year, which keeps 2014, 2015 and 2016.