How to Create a Quadrant Chart in Excel

A quadrant chart is one of the most effective ways to show the relationship between two different variables. Instead of getting lost in rows of data, you can instantly see where each item falls into one of four categories, making it perfect for things like performance reviews or strategic planning. This guide will walk you through how to build a clear, professional-looking quadrant chart in Excel, step-by-step.

What is a Quadrant Chart, and Why Use One?

A quadrant chart, also known as a 4-quadrant matrix, uses a standard scatter plot but splits it into four equal sections or "quadrants." It’s designed to help you plot data points based on two key metrics - one along the horizontal x-axis and one along the vertical y-axis. This visual separation immediately helps you categorize data and spot patterns.

For example, you could plot tasks by effort vs. impact to decide what to work on next, or map out marketing channels by cost vs. conversion rate to see where your budget is best spent. The goal is to move from a list of numbers to a strategic map that guides your decisions.

Here are a few common business uses for a quadrant chart:

• Employee Performance vs. Potential (9-Box Grid): A classic HR tool for talent management, helping identify future leaders, solid contributors, and employees who may need support.
• Eisenhower Matrix: A time management tool that categorizes tasks by their urgency and importance (Urgent/Important, Urgent/Not-Important, etc.).
• SWOT Analysis: Visualizing internal Strengths and Weaknesses against external Opportunities and Threats.
• Customer Segmentation: Plotting customers based on metrics like purchase frequency and average order value to identify your most valuable customer groups.

Essentially, if you have two variables and want to see how individual data points stack up, a quadrant chart is a fantastic choice.

Preparing Your Data in Excel

Before you can make the chart, you need to set up your data correctly. A well-organized table is the foundation of a good chart and will save you a lot of headaches later. Your data needs to have at least three columns:

1. A label for each data point (e.g., Employee Name, Task Name, Marketing Channel).
2. A numerical value for the x-axis metric.
3. A numerical value for the y-axis metric.

For our tutorial, let's build a classic HR performance-potential matrix. Our goal is to see where each employee falls based on their performance score and potential score.

Setting Your Quadrant Boundaries

The lines that create your four quadrants need a reference point. Where do a "low" score and a "high" score start and end? You have a few options for where to draw these lines:

• Average: The most common method. Any value above the average is "high" and any value below is "low." This is dynamic and adjusts if your data changes.
• Median: Another good option, especially if you have outliers that might skew the average.
• A Fixed Value: Sometimes, you have a predefined threshold. For example, on a 1-10 scale, you might decide that 5 is the midpoint for both axes.

For this example, we’ll use the average. It’s a great starting point for most analyses. Below our data table, let's add two simple calculations to find the average for our two metrics.

Now that our data is prepared, we're ready to start building the chart.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Quadrant Chart in Excel

This process might involve several steps, but each one is straightforward. We'll start with a basic scatter plot and then format it into our finished quadrant chart.

Step 1: Create a Basic Scatter Plot

A quadrant chart is technically just a creatively formatted scatter plot. Let's start there.

1. Select your numerical data - in our case, the Performance Score and Potential Score columns. Don't include the headers or the employee names just yet.
2. Go to the Insert tab on Excel's ribbon.
3. In the Charts group, click on the icon that looks like a set of dots, which is the Insert Scatter (X, Y) or Bubble Chart menu.
4. Choose the first option, simply called Scatter.

Excel will instantly generate a basic scatter plot. Right now, it’s just a collection of dots, which isn’t very useful. We don’t know which dot belongs to which employee. Our next step is to fix that.

Step 2: Add and Format Data Labels

This step is crucial for making your chart understandable. We'll link the labels to the names in our 'Employee' column.

1. Click on one of the data points in your chart. This should select all the points.
2. Right-click and select Add Data Labels from the menu. You might have to click it twice to apply it to all points. Numbers will appear next to each dot, which by default are their y-axis values.
3. Now, right-click on one of the new numbers (the data labels) and choose Format Data Labels. A formatting pane will open on the right side of your screen.
4. In the Label Options section, uncheck Y Value and check the box that says Value From Cells.
5. A small dialog box will appear asking you to select the data label range. Select the range containing your employee names. Click OK.

You can also adjust the label position here. For example, choosing "Center" or "Above" might make it easier to read depending on how your data points are distributed.

Step 3: Reposition the Axes to Form Quadrants

This is where the magic happens. We're going to move the horizontal and vertical axes from the edge of the chart to the center, using the averages we calculated earlier as our new crossing point.

Move the Vertical (Y) Axis:

1. Click on the horizontal axis (the numbers along the bottom) to select it.
2. Right-click the axis and choose Format Axis.
3. In the Axis Options panel, find the section labeled Vertical axis crosses.
4. Select the option Axis value and enter the average you found for the Performance Score. Hit Enter.

You should see the vertical (Y) axis jump from the left side to the middle of the chart.

Move the Horizontal (X) Axis:

1. Now, click on the vertical axis (the numbers along the side) to select it.
2. Right-click and choose Format Axis.
3. In the Axis Options panel, find the section labeled Horizontal axis crosses.
4. Select Axis value and enter the average you calculated for the Potential Score. Hit Enter.

Just like that, your chart is now divided into four quadrants!

Step 4: Format and Refine Your Chart

Your quadrant chart is functionally complete, but a little formatting will make it much clearer and more professional.

Add a Chart Title and Axis Titles:

• Click on the chart, then click the + icon (Chart Elements) that appears in the top-right corner.
• Check the boxes for Chart Title and Axis Titles.
• Rename your chart to something descriptive like "Employee Performance-Potential Matrix."
• Label your axes: "Performance Score" for the x-axis and "Potential Score" for the y-axis.

Label the Quadrants:

Adding text labels for each quadrant tells viewers exactly what each section means. The easiest way to do this is with text boxes.

1. Go to the Insert tab and click Text Box.
2. Draw a text box in one of the quadrants (e.g., the top-right).
3. Give it a descriptive name like "Future Leaders (High Performance, High Potential)."
4. Repeat this for the other three quadrants with labels like "Core Contributors" (Bottom-Right), "High Potentials" (Top-Left), and "Development Needed" (Bottom-Left).

Clean Up the Appearance:

• Axis Bounds: To give your points more space, you can set the minimum and maximum bounds for your axes. Right-click an axis, choose Format Axis, and adjust the 'Minimum' and 'Maximum' bounds under Axis Options. Setting them from 0 to 10 would work well for this example.
• Gridlines: You can remove the default background gridlines for a cleaner look. Click the gridlines and press the Delete key.
• Quadrant Lines Style: Make your new central axes stand out. Click on an axis, and in the Format Axis pane, go to the "Fill & Line" (paint bucket) icon. You can increase the line width or change its color.

After a bit of formatting, your final chart should look something like this:

How to Interpret Your Quadrant Chart

Creating the chart is only half the battle, knowing how to read it is where the value lies. This visual format provides immediate insights:

• Top-Right (Future Leaders): Employees with high performance and high potential are ideal candidates for advancement and investment.
• Top-Left (High Potentials): These employees show promise but may not be performing at their full potential yet.
• Bottom-Right (Core Contributors): Reliable performers who are key for maintaining operations but may not have high growth potential.
• Bottom-Left (Development Needed): Employees in this quadrant may need targeted development or different roles to better utilize their skills.

This kind of instant clarity is simply not possible by scanning a spreadsheet of numbers.

Final Thoughts

Creating a quadrant chart in Excel can transform how you analyze and present data. By converting a standard scatter plot and repositioning the axes, you turn a simple spreadsheet into a powerful strategic tool for decision-making. Though it has a few steps, it’s a process anyone can master to gain clearer insights from their data.

Of course, building reports like this in Excel every time can start to feel repetitive, especially when you need to frequently update your data from different marketing or sales platforms. To streamline this, we built Graphed to connect directly to your data sources and create live dashboards. Instead of clicking through menus to format axes and labels yourself, you can just ask in plain language, "Build a quadrant chart showing campaign cost vs. ROI for the last 30 days," and get an interactive dashboard that updates automatically, helping you move from raw data to real insights in seconds.