Before the chart, make the table… because a good frequency table is an X-ray. It shows the bones: categories, counts, percents, and a total that actually totals. Sort once for the “what’s most common?” story; sort again for “what should we watch?” Add a percent column to unmask unequal group sizes. If you’re tracking a process, add a cumulative column so the ramp appears. Tables are where you notice the misspellings, the duplicate categories (“Late” vs “late”), the stray spaces that will later become phantom bars. The visual will earn the applause, but the table earns the trust. Get the first draft right and the chart becomes a formality.
