How old do you need to be to learn to drive? Depending on where you live, the answer might vary. In Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon, I began learning to drive at 15, even though the legal age was 18. In the UK, it’s 17. However, on private property, age doesn’t matter–you can start as early as you like, as long as you’re off public roads. This sets the stage for an important analogy between learning to drive and learning to master Excel in the modern workplace.
Scenario 1: Learning in the Safe Confines of Private Property
Imagine you’re a teenager, practicing to drive in a large, private car park. You learn the basics: steering, parking, reversing, and maneuvering around obstacles. It’s safe, controlled, and predictable. There are no traffic lights, pedestrians, or unexpected events. This is like tackling Excel challenges that are deliberately structured and isolated. Many YouTube tutorials and Excel challenges work within this controlled environment. They’re useful for learning individual functions and tricks, but they don’t prepare you for the unpredictable complexities of real-world use.
Scenario 2: The Car Salesman in the Showroom
Now, picture yourself at a car dealership. The eager salesman shows you all the latest features of a new BMW–heated seats, climate control, and an entertainment system that syncs to your favorite music. But does this teach you how to handle the car on a busy road? Not really. This scenario mirrors what we often see in the Excel ecosystem: product demonstrations. Every new Excel feature is showcased, often in hundreds of identical videos across social media. You learn how to press certain buttons or input certain formulas, but it doesn’t prepare you for the complexities you’ll face when building a real-world spreadsheet.
Scenario 3: Driving on the Main Road
Now, the real challenge: driving on the main road. Here, you’re no longer in control of the environment. You have to respond to traffic, pedestrians, and unexpected obstacles. It’s about adapting to an unpredictable, real-world scenario. This is analogous to using Excel in a live work environment. You must not only know the functions and features but also have the instinct and experience to react to incomplete data, sudden changes, and ever-evolving demands.
The Key Difference: Road vs. Car Park
What’s the main difference between driving on a quiet street and driving on a busy main road? On the main road, you’re dealing with dynamic, unpredictable factors like other cars, pedestrians, and traffic signals. Similarly, in Excel, you must learn to respond to real-world problems that involve incomplete data, complex processes, and unexpected changes.
The Excel Ecosystem: Showrooms, Car Parks, and Real Roads
The Excel ecosystem can be divided into three categories, just like our driving scenarios:
1. **Showroom Demos**: These are the tutorials and videos showing off the newest features of Excel. Much like the car salesman in the showroom, they help you familiarize yourself with the bells and whistles but don’t train you for the real world.
2. **Controlled Car Park Training**: These are Excel challenges you find online, often confined to a specific set of rules. They help you improve your technical skills in a controlled setting but lack the unpredictability of real-world scenarios.
3. **Driving on the Main Road**: This is the real deal–using Excel in the workplace, where the problems are often vague, and the data is incomplete. You have to figure out what’s missing, ask the right questions, and create scalable solutions that adapt to ever-changing requirements.
The Real Challenge: Learning to Drive in Traffic
The key to mastering Excel (or any complex tool) isn’t just about knowing all the features–it’s about understanding how to apply them in the real world. Just like passing a driving test requires more than knowing how to operate a car, becoming proficient in Excel means learning to adapt and respond to real-world demands.
But here’s the issue: The majority of content available in the Excel ecosystem falls into the first two categories–the showrooms and the car parks. We are inundated with videos and challenges that, while useful, don’t prepare us for the chaos of real-world scenarios.
Why We Need More “Main Road” Training
When I worked with clients, I saw the need for real-world, scalable Excel solutions. I’m talking about solutions that save time, cut costs, and make a real difference to the business. I was once mentioned in *Wired* magazine for creating “six-figure spreadsheets” for corporations. This wasn’t about fancy formulas or the latest Excel trick–it was about delivering results that couldn’t be achieved through basic tutorials or synthetic challenges.
Closing the Gap: Real-World Excel Experience
What’s missing in the Excel ecosystem is content that prepares you for driving on the main road. We need more challenges and case studies that reflect the unpredictability of the workplace. Just like a driving instructor teaches you how to navigate traffic, Excel training should focus on real-world scenarios where you need to think critically, adapt quickly, and solve problems creatively.
In conclusion, the next time you’re watching a tutorial or tackling an Excel challenge, ask yourself: Am I just learning how to press buttons, or am I learning how to drive? If it’s the former, remember that true mastery lies in applying those skills in the unpredictable, messy, and dynamic world outside the car park.
You’ve been listening to a podcast by Hiran de Silva. Read by Bill.
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