stop clicking exploring excel ribbon like newbie

8/9/2019 Stop Clicking Exploring Excel Ribbon Like Newbie

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Stop Clicking and Exploring the Excel Ribbon like a Newbie

www.Excel-Spreadsheet-Authors.com 2 | P a g e


by John Franco

2009 by Excel-Spreadsheet-Authors.com

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TOC

TOC...................................................................................................................................................... 3INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 4WHY MICROSOFT CHANGED MENUS FOR THE RIBBON? ........................................................................ 6UNCOVER THE REASON YOU ARE PULLING YOUR HAIR TO FIND THINGS IN EXCEL 2007 ...................... 11 YOUR EXCEL PRODUCTIVITY IS AT RISK ................................................................................................ 13WHERE DID THE EXCEL 2003 TOOLS GO IN EXCEL 2007? ...................................................................... 14 3 EASY STEPS TO STOP CLICKING AND EXPLORING THE EXCEL RIBBON LIKE A NEWBIE, TO DO THE

THINGS YOU CAN ALREADY DO IN YOUR SLEEP ................................................................................... 17 ABOUT JOHN.................................................................................................................................. 20


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Introduction

I want to share with you 3 simple steps to master the new paradigmcalled Ribbon.Before that, I would like to share some insights about this shiftMany systems we create are not sustainable in time because of asingle reason:at some point in its history,the initial conditions bywhich the invention was created, no longer exists.

The originalsettings and parameters disappearbecause newtechnology overrides old restrictions. Also because the built-instructure does not support the new challenges (demands) imposed by

eager and innovative users.One of the best examples is the restrictions imposed by thetechnology to the computing processing capacity. More speed(asdemanded) could not be achieved using the same materials andsystems.Take a look at this brief computing processing timeline

1. 1940s - Tube based CPU2. 1950s - The transistor came on the scene3. 1971 Intel 4004 microprocessor, silicon gate technology

allowing a higher number of transistors and a faster speedthan was possible before

4. 2010 - Processors based on Intel's 45nm High-k silicontechnology

These turning points are present in every area of human progress. To

illustrate this changing nature of systems, please think for a momentabout these shifts

Cave - house apartment building whats nextChariot car - whats nextRoman road highway Interstate - whats nextSteamengine dieselengine electric motor- whats nextShip - Airplane Space Shuttle - whats nextKeyboard mouse touch screen - whats nextKeyboard command - Menu Ribbon - whats next


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You cannot insist on using a system when the conditions change sodramatically that its use is no longer cost effective.

Dont quit reading now; we have more important points to discuss

John Francowww.Excel-Spreadsheet-Authors.com
http://www.excel-spreadsheet-authors.com/http://www.excel-spreadsheet-authors.com/http://www.excel-spreadsheet-authors.com/


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Why Microsoft ChangedMenus for theRibbon?

Your paradigm is so intrinsic to your mental process that you arehardly aware of its existence, until you try to communicate with

someone with a different paradigm.Donella Meadows

Organization is achieved by putting similar concepts together; thefact is that the old menu system follows this golden rule. Theinadequacy is that the organizing principle is based on plain

categorization not in related actions.Let me explain this concept in more detailExcel Ribbon has an activity-oriented organization

Think about the Insert menuin Excel 2003;it groups all the tools thatyou can imagine could be inserted: Sheets, Columns, Chart, etc.

In the beginning this grouping appears good. It was accepted andnow Excel 2003 users cannot live without it.

The fact is that this system has a critical shortcoming; I will show itto you nowFocus for a moment on the Chart command (see menuabove)Where are the chart related tools? Is charting an activity orjust a command? Dont you set data series, formatting, etc while youare working with a chart?


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The answer is yes!

So; if you are charting, you need itsoptions at your fingertips insteadof going deep in your toolbar library.Heres another critical concept of the new Excel RibbonExcel Ribbon reduces a cluttered interface with contextualRibbon tabs

If you are working with charts, the relevant tools are immediatelyavailable in the contextual Ribbon tabs (Chart tools): Design, Layoutand Format. See below

Design tab:

Layout tab:

Format tab:

The Chart related commands are displayed to its fullest because nowthey all are fully relevant, since you are working on charts. Theydisappear as soon as you stop working with Charts (the same occurswith Pivot Tables, Pictures, Tables, etc)Compare the above arsenal of tools with the tiny and not sopreeminent Chart contextual toolbar of Excel 2003.


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Dont think I am too idealisticHere is something that is making a lot of Excel 2007 users pullingtheir hairEvery new solution brings new problems;for example: potable waterbrings the problem of waste water disposal.So the Ribbon hasresidual problemstoo

For everything you have missed, you have gained something else,and for everything you gain, you lose something else.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Problem #1 - It generates extra clicks.This occurs because theRibbon in Excel 2007 is not customizable (big mistake solved in Excel2010). For example: to access the Sort command you need to clicktwice: Data>Sort. On the other hand, you would click just once inExcel 2003 creating a custom toolbar.You can click once to access the Sort command in Excel 2007 if youadd the command to the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT). Theshortcoming remains because you have only one cluttered QATinstead of limitless custom toolbars tailored to your needs (Excel2003).Problem #2 - The Ribbon now occupies extra space on screen.Although, you can minimize it, you cannot get rid of less frequentcommands from any given Ribbon.This problem would be solved with toolbar customizing.

Thankfully there is good news; the Excel 2010 version is ableto do that (again).

Dont believe me?

Here are some screens


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Fully customized your default Ribbon tabs and Groups or create yourown ones

Have access to your own Ribbon tabs and Groups


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Hide unused Ribbon or Groups


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Uncover the Reason You are Pulling YourHair to Find Things in Excel 2007

He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only humaninstitution which rejects progress is the cemetery.

Harold Wilson

Menu systems existed until Excel 2003, you are among the users wholived and grew with this command organization scheme. Now thissystem is gone. It takes the same amount of energy to adopt andmove forward as it does to pull your hair and express frustration.The problem that emerged is this oneWe as humans are customcreaturesfor example, if you put the car steering wheel on the leftand then move it to the rightor vice versa, everyone will complain.The menu system makes you feel comfortable not because it is thebest system in the world; it is because you have been using it for

years. Toolbars are the same thing.

The problem is not in the new Ribbon; the fact is that the Menu andToolbars systems are hard wired in your brain.Developers know this fact and they stay close to paradigms betweennew Excel version launches. They are aware of massive use, chaos,commerciality, etc. Even third party software companies attach tothis quite rigid fact.

But there is a time when things need to change; as I said to you inthe introduction, systems are continually getting obsolete. The statusquo must be broken in order for things to evolve.SoThe mindset of users is the main obstacle to mastering thisnew paradigm called Ribbon. You will struggle until you accept thechange and focus on using it. No options to get back. You mustrelease it in your mind, find closure and move forward.Customs are obstacles, but they can be changed.Microsoft is not responsible for this struggle you are having.They lead the technology, and they are improving. If you see thechange objectively you will sayyes they are improving; just that Iwas so comfortable but remember; at one time, the majority wasquite comfortable traveling by stage coach and steam engine.


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This pattern is repeated every time a major shift in customs and waysof doing things change.Let me tell you a storyAs a Civil Engineer I didnt have the opportunity to work in the big

drawing rooms of the past. A drawing took a week to complete; evenwith that, the pioneers of CAD (Computer Aided Design) gotresistance because of several reasons:

The need to configure the softwareToo much time to get started (newbies spend too muchtime doing a line)And other now-ridiculous arguments

What eventually happened? Now a drawing can be modified

thousands of times with little or no effort. This is the residual benefitsof the initial learning curve. It stays with you and even accumulates.You should greet and welcome these changes because this is how alllearn and participate in this always new and changing world.Resistance to change is useless, because change is necessary.

Remember; the only truly consistent thing in life is change.Lets stay on the train of technology.Participating in the industryinnovations and mistakes is vital for your computer literacya skill allof us need to prosper now.


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Your Excel Productivity is at Risk

You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change thecircumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change

yourself. That is something you have charge of.Jim Rohn

Productivity is achieved when you use your brain entirely to solve themore importantproblems. In other words, you reach your peakperformance when your support tasks like walking, typing, listeningare done in the background of your brain.For example: once you learn to drive a car, your brain enjoys thescenery in front of you; you easily drive around obstacles, badsection of the road, etc.If suddenly, the commands of the car wouldbe changed; many of the skills and pleasures of driving would stop.I cant imagine driving in England for example (I grew up in a leftwheel vehiclescountry); I think I will not enjoy the driving experiencefor the first days.It happens in software too, once you master the locations of the toolsyou need, it becomes automatic so you dont think about it anymore.

You become productive because you only focus on presentingthe data, writing formulas, etc. instead of searching for tools.It took you time to wire in your brain where the tools are. This skill isyour asset so it is painful to abandoning it. It causes resistance.We get too attached to our "comfort zones".

Do you see the same pattern again?It happens when big changes occur. Excel 2003 menu to Excel 2007Ribbon is a big paradigm shift.Comfort also plays a critical role; you repeat things that you arecomfortable with. If a task you used to do comfortably, like findingthings in Excel, is suddenly changed, you feel anger; you will tend toavoid this pain.

Wellheres the most important partIn just a moment I will show how to overcome this frustration in 3easy steps


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Where did the Excel 2003 Tools Go inExcel 2007?

I was an accomplice in my own frustration.Peter Shaffer

The Excel 2003 commands are on the different Ribbon tabs and onthe Office button. See below

As I said to you before, the commands in the menus aredisassociated from the respective toolbar. Not a good thing if you usethose commands in harmony when you are working on a specific tasklike writing a Formula, Charting, and working with Pictures, etc.SoRibbons group commands related to an activity. For examplethe Formulas Ribbon contains all related commands for working withFormulas (inserting functions, debugging, managing named ranges,etc.).

On the other hand, if you see theFormulas related commands onExcel 2003, you will notice they are scattered...The Function wizard on Insert menuThe Formula Auditing on Tools menuThe Named ranges on Insert MenuThe Calculating options on the Options dialog box (Tools menu)


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Inside a Ribbon, the commands are also organized into Groups; theseframes contain related commands that were previously scatteredunnecessarily.For example: the Formulas Ribbon tab has the Groups: Function

Library, Defined Names, Formula Auditing and Calculation.

Any other command that does not fit under any of the Ribbon tabswas grouped on the Office Button.What is the Office button? The upper left button that now drives a lotof users crazy.Think about it as the home of all other things youdont find on Ribbons.See below


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The Excel Options form under the Tools menu in Excel 2003 is nowlocated on the Office button.

Then

How to find things in this new environment?Although, some features may be difficult to detect, this is the

exception because the organization of commands is quite predictable,and we will use this feature right now to boost your productivity.It is time to know the


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3 Easy Steps to Stop Clicking and

Exploring the Excel Ribbon Like a

Newbie, to Do the Things You Can

Already Do in Your Sleep

Doubt can only be removed by action.Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Here I will show you a 3 steps formula (Rewire Explore Practice)so you feel like a fish in the water again1.1 RewireRoutine is your first enemy, to get rid of it, please stop looking at theExcel 2003 system. And be aware that organization of menu isarbitrary; developers may haveinvented a tablet, voice command,one menu, a map, etc.

The good news is that our human brain can wire a new system andturn it into a new inner game.

Think for a moment in the languagesthe words dog in English, perro

in Spanish are arbitrary constructs. We assign meaning to each word.We can use them later to construct more complex things.SoChange your mindset from category driven Menus to activitydriven Ribbons.Flotation law was not discovered by the contemplation of how thingssink. So you are crazy if you try to master Excel 2007 new Ribbonparadigm by focusing on the Excel 2003 menu system.To rewire your brain to Excel 2007 system, focus on it.

Additionally; as I said to you before, the organization of things ispredictableYou wont find the Print command on the Formulastabso take time now and1.2 ExploreComplete your wiring-process by exploring the new positions ofthings.Think..."Activity Driven"!


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All the tools are now organized under a new principle. So, use thenew paradigm in your mind and go discover where the things youknow are now located.(not 2003/2007 side by sidecomparison).Be aware of the underlying grouping inside each Ribbon, the toolbarsare now under tabs: Home, Insert, Page Layout, etcand the Groupsinside them cluster similar commands.Here is an important piece of adviceOnce you discover by yourself the new organization, take a commoncommand you used to use in the older Excel version and ask thispowerful questionOn what Ribbon should it be?For exampleLets take the Formula Auditing command (Excel 2003 Tools menu)And ask the question on what Ribbon should it be?

HomeInsertPage LayoutFormulasDataReviewViewAdd-insButton

Yes, the answer is Formulas. Click on the Formulas Ribbon, and then

ask the questionOn what Group should it be?

Function LibraryDefined NamesFormula AuditingCalculation


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Yes, the answer is Formula Auditing. Look at it and you will find thetool you are looking for.If you cant find the command, then look in the Home tab. It groupsdiverse general categories.Keep in mind that the system level commands like File menu,Options, etc are on the Office Button.1.3 Practice80% of the rocket fuel is burnt before leaving the atmosphere andgetting into orbit. Not enough progress? Not the case, it is breakinginertia (gravity).

The same principle applies here; as you start, you will notice aslowdown in your productivity despite "burning" more time. Once youbreak resistance, you will soon experience the productivity levels youhad before and even bigger because this new paradigm works.

The fact that Microsoft uses the Ribbon in its new 2010 versionmeans we will have Ribbon for at least a few more years.Ribbon on Excel 2007 has detractors and errors. Microsoft developersand directors figured out that the inability to customize the toolbars iscausing a lot of troubleto the huge community of Excel 2003 users(and older versions too).Lets celebrate that Excel 2010 has customizable toolbars again!

I hope this reporthas provided you with some helpful insights tomake the move to Excel 2007/2010 Excel versions and beyond,without constantly clicking and exploring like a newbie over and overevery day.

I am John Franco - of Ecuador South America. I invite you to visit meatmy blogwww.Excel-Spreadsheet-Authors.comwhere we canbecome better acquainted.I will show you many amazing truthsof Excel.
http://www.excel-spreadsheet-authors.com/http://www.excel-spreadsheet-authors.com/http://www.excel-spreadsheet-authors.com/http://www.excel-spreadsheet-authors.com/


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About JohnJohn Franco is native of Ecuador, he is a CivilEngineer and a Bachelor in Applied Linguistics withfocus on creating systems for work, his long termobjective in life is helping others to gain momentum inthe application of ideas.

For over seven years, he worked as a Civil EngineerforNorberto Odebrecht Construction Company(the 44th largestconstruction contracting firm from around the world according toEngineering News Record 2008).

During that time, He had anExcel Maven Boss; Nilton Teti, one ofthose old-time-Excel-geniuses who makes precious models, uses justthe keyboard and hates BI corporate packages. His almostreligious

fervor for Excel, and his amazing knowledge, was the source of hisgreat interest in Spreadsheets.

During all these years he really experienced the professional benefitsof using Excel to accomplish his duties; he says to you that beingskilled in Excel gives you a tremendous advantage at theoffice and in your career!

Having always been very entrepreneurial in his nature, he quit his jobat Norberto Odebrecht in order to devote his full passion andknowledge of advanced Excel methods to others around the world

who can benefit from it.His first entrepreneurial initiative is the site

www.Excel-Spreadsheet-Authors.com; a blog dedicated toMid/Advanced Excel users so they can polish their skills to reachhigher productivity and clarity.

Email him at:[email protected]
http://www.odebrecht.com/http://www.odebrecht.com/http://www.odebrecht.com/http://enr.construction.com/people/toplists/topGlobalcont/topglobalCont_1-50.asphttp://www.excel-spreadsheet-authors.com/http://www.excel-spreadsheet-authors.com/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.excel-spreadsheet-authors.com/http://enr.construction.com/people/toplists/topGlobalcont/topglobalCont_1-50.asphttp://www.odebrecht.com/

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