Field notes · 2026-03-22
Charts That Survive a Board Meeting
Chart choices for private firm reports that stay readable when projected or printed in black and white.
Boardrooms often print packs in greyscale. If your story depends on colour alone, it will vanish on paper. Prefer position, length, and clear labels over hue.
Bar charts work well for capital calls by vintage or holding. Line charts suit NAV over time. Pie charts rarely help when you have more than four slices.
Annotate the last data point. Partners remember the ending number more than the shape of the line. A quiet callout box with the figure and date is enough.
Avoid dual axes unless the room already agrees on the comparison. Dual axes invite misreading and slow the chair who must explain them.
Test every chart at arm’s length. If axis labels vanish, enlarge them before the pack leaves your desk.