Posted on Mar 14, 2014
What would happen if there was no PowerPoint?
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Have we become overly reliant on technology to do our jobs as leaders? As leaders we spend a lot of time putting presentations together to brief our superiors. Bullet points and quad-charts are endless. How would our military function if we couldn't organize briefings and presentations with PowerPoint? Would our verbal briefing skills improve? Would our map reading skills improve? Would leaders at higher levels loose the ability to micromanage? Would junior officers and NCOs be more empowered to take initiative and act on their own judgement? Sadly, a world without PowerPoint may only be a dream, but I have a suspicion it may be wonderfully freeing and empowering.
Posted in these groups: 
Technology
PowerPoint
Technology PowerPoint
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 84
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A PP slide should be no more than 4 bullets that contain no more than 5 words per bullet.
They should accent the points a presenter is making.
And of course, graphic elements... charts and other elements that cut to the point are way better than words... an infographic.
Death by PP comes from presenters reading aloud the slides word for word, in paragraph format. They might as well crack open War and Peace and start reading to me.
They should accent the points a presenter is making.
And of course, graphic elements... charts and other elements that cut to the point are way better than words... an infographic.
Death by PP comes from presenters reading aloud the slides word for word, in paragraph format. They might as well crack open War and Peace and start reading to me.
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LTC Paul Labrador
Yup. PPT is merely the tool. YOU are the presenter and should be the one putting out the info, not the slide.
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SSgt (Join to see)
LTC Paul Labrador, I cant tell you how many times I've sat through presentations where someone has repeated, word for word, the bullet points on their PPT presentation. However, I don't think that's an issue with technology... It's an issue where we aren't teaching our people how to present information in a briefing or speech.
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SFC (Join to see)
I'll fall back on the "just lazy" diagnosis. Too many times, I've seen "people" too lazy to do their homework and research/prepare anything. So they copy and paste, then read it back to their audience.
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CPT, as a humorous diversion, a colleague sent an e-mail the other day asking what would we do without e-mail. Offered in jest, the number one response was that we would be far more productive because we spent less time checking e-mail, and more time with our subordinates.
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PowerPoint, GPS, etc... They are OK, but a real leader or instructor can do just fine without them.
I require all my troops to carry note pads and pencils at all times. There is always something new out there or a better way to do something and it is good to take notes of such things.
I require all my troops to carry note pads and pencils at all times. There is always something new out there or a better way to do something and it is good to take notes of such things.
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SSG (Join to see)
You know what, Top? My pen/paper never ran out of batteries. And my map/protractor/compass never lost satellite feed.
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Many top leaders and a bunch of staff officers would absolutely lose their minds. My experience with Power Point is such that it's a wonderful tool that too many people use as a crutch. Maybe if leaders spent some time at the FOBs, COBs and COPs, they could see things first hand vs having the information spoon fed to them on a slide.
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SFC (Join to see)
"Power Point is such that it's a wonderful tool that too many people use as a crutch"
Amen... Presenters should be practiced enough that they can present the material without slides, in a manner that is understandable if the projector goes down.
The slides should provide the core facts to accent the speaker.
Amen... Presenters should be practiced enough that they can present the material without slides, in a manner that is understandable if the projector goes down.
The slides should provide the core facts to accent the speaker.
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I think the issue resolves around a central point to many technology questions: how much is too much> A judicial use of PowerPoint, or any tech item could be very useful... unfortunately the problem is too may people use it TOO much, not enough or not effectively. The goal should be to use and integrate all the tools at hand (IT or other) to enhance a military objective or civilian goal.
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CPT (Join to see)
Very good point MSgt Reilly! I think PPT definitely has the potential to be overused. It is a fairly simple way to present info in a professional manner, but I am sure there are better ways to present that info than a slide deck. I think it speaks a lot to CW4 Kinslow's point about being able to use the right tool for the job, not just always using the tool you are the most comfortable with.
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Believe it or not we had an Army that lived on briefings before the advent of modern computers. Programs like Harvard Graphis, Freelance, and later Micosoft's Power Point came into existence.
Briefings were done on paper and transfered in one color (black) to overhead transparencies via copy machine or special slide burning machines.
Microsoft and the like made it easier to put together crappy briefings faster. The creator still must develope the briefing from scratch to give the truth and tell the story. Slides are supposed to be an assistance to the briefer and recipient, they were not designed as stand-alone packages. If you pay attention in communications courses more information is passed in vocal content (emphasis, tone, duration) and visual (body language) than can be captured by a graphics program.
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MSG Curtis Lange
I forgot to mention, many briefings were also done to Commanders and Staff in front of map boards with transparent overlays using grease pencils...not to date my time in service or anything. :)
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CPT (Join to see)
MSG Lange, the point you make about PPT slides intended to be an assistant instead of a stand-alone package is exactly what I am getting at. I agree 100% that a good verbal briefing will beat a PPT dependent presentation. Maybe we just need to improve our briefing skills more.
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MSG Curtis Lange
I work with briefings everyday and very few have any speaker notes, let alone ones that would allow anyone to pickup the briefing and present it in a practical manner if something happened to the creator.
This especially important for as it pertains to AARs ... After Action Review or After Action Reports...depends on what the command calls them.
More distressing is the units at NTC, JRTC, JMRC, and MCTP exercises relying on video tape with no transcripts that analysts can use to find good and bad trends in training.
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SPC (Join to see)
I hope sir. People don't take PowerPoint presentations seriously at all, a more hands-on approach would garner more interest and soldiers would retain the info much better.
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Before there was PowerPoint, there were slide projectors. Before projectors, there were easels. Before email, there was the postal service. Before printers, there were typewriters.
We can do without PowerPoint, but we can also rifles, boots, and tanks. We could fight a war with bare fists, but why would we want to?
We can do without PowerPoint, but we can also rifles, boots, and tanks. We could fight a war with bare fists, but why would we want to?
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CPT (Join to see)
SFC Pate, I agree we absolutely could fight without it. I guess what I am getting at is how effectively could we fight without it. Would commanders still have good situational awareness without their daily PPT briefings? Can we still provide all the info leaders want with slide projectors and map overlays?
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SFC Stephen P.
Sir, my experience with the technology is limited to instruction and briefings within the USAR retention force. I estimate we could overcome the removal of PowerPoint with negligible expense and no real impact on readiness.
Results may vary in other commands.
Results may vary in other commands.
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We have these debates daily...what I'm seeing in the responses though, is a less "high tech" solution: transparencies, butcher block, etc. These would still have the same effect, an over reliance on too many graphics when a single sheet can do the job. PPT is a great tool to represent just about every aspect of a mission/task/storyboard, but it's become where NOTHING happens if it's not on a slideshow. Like CSM said, we'd have to stop the war. There is also a lack of synchronization: leaders at different echelons ask for the same information, but each on their own proprietary format. So we spend our time transcribing the same info on several slides, where one would suffice.
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CPT (Join to see)
Good points CW2 Lopez. I have definitiely seen it before where commanders were afraid to do something simply because they forgot to include it in their CUB slides to the boss. Your point on synchronization is excellent. I hate it when every time there is a change of command the entire staff ends up jumping through hoops and reinventing the wheel simply because the commander wants the same information presented in a completely different way. Maybe part of the problem is that PPT is so customizable that everyone wants to have it their own way.
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I agree... I think it is overused but it can be of great help in certain aspects. This is similar tot he problem I have been seeing regarding Land Navigation... map reading, compass work and orienteering seem to be falling by the wayside as the reliance on GPS grows.
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