Favorite Graph

There are a wide variety of graphs and each of us has our favorites. There are also graphs that are more common in one industry compared with other industries.  For example, I use primarily bar charts and Pareto graphs on a regular basis.  I also do marketing research and also evaluate product defects in products thus the use of Pareto graphs.    I was at a  conference twenty years ago where the lead safety engineer for Mercedes Benz was the speaker.  The key point of the speech was that they use “the bell curve and its various shapes to communicate within departments. For example, they would look at how long a part lasts prior to failure so you would have a long straight line then a sudden sharp curve as parts failed.  If the curve in the graph came up too early, they would know the new part was a failure and go back to the prior part. Also, as you move upward in an organization, the presenters of information must use more graphs since top executives have lots of meetings and graphs are an easier way to get information across in less time than a long report.  Therefore, what is your favorite graph to use, and in your opinion,  what graphs do upper management primarily see each day in your company?