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.
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Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 84
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CPT (Join to see)
They absolutely would WO1 Baker. But would BNs, BDEs, and higher still be able to receive and digest all the info they want/need with the same degree of ease as they currently do with PPT?
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CW2 John Brookins
CPT Johnson you hit two key points there. What they "want/need". Most often what they want is way more than they need.
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CPT (Join to see)
Definitely! Notebooks and pencils would probably need to be part of the uniform for every single Soldier and the phrase "prepare to copy" would be commonly heard. Briefing skills would need to improve quickly and SITREPS, SPOT Reports, etc would become more relevant again I bet.
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I can still remember preparing a class with a large white tablet, markers, easel, manuals, index cards, and other visuals, at PLDC at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania January 1993. It was more hands on and interactive with the rest of the class.
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Powerpoint is not the problem. Overuse of Powerpoint is the problem. It is a classic example of working for your systems instead of your systems working for you. It is a great tool, but it is too good, and too easy, so it gets abused. The demand for slick presentations has grown out of control, just because it's there. The old saw about PP being for the weak or inept is wrong. Look at who the presentation is for, not the presenter, and there you will find the culprit. As long as leaders demand these products (or don't stop them from being produced) they will continue unabated.
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SFC (Join to see)
I totally agree, working at the BN Level everything has to be done on power point and when you try to deviate from that, it is like the world is coming to an end.
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It would stop presenters from asking participants to do the presenter's job for them; when the presenter asks "Hey, why don't you go ahead and read this next slide for us." It is the presenter's job to present.
It would not allow a lazy presenter to tell their commander, "Now take a moment to review this information, Sir/Ma'am" while standing at parade rest. It is the presenter's job to present.
PPT, prezi and keynote are fantastic programs made worthless, when used with poor presentation skills.
It would not allow a lazy presenter to tell their commander, "Now take a moment to review this information, Sir/Ma'am" while standing at parade rest. It is the presenter's job to present.
PPT, prezi and keynote are fantastic programs made worthless, when used with poor presentation skills.
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2 shops Army-wide would be paralyzed. Hate PowerPoint as much as I do, I find it very useful in those first few classes we teach in BCT-land. For example, the personal finance class has a blown up LES as one of the slides. There's another slide deck for for Army rank. I view those presentations as informative. However, the Army's reliance on PowerPoint is now such that you have the tail wagging the dog, and the Army is the worse for it.
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Personally, I don't think PowerPoint is good or bad. It is a tool. It is neutral. The problem isn't the program. It has great functionality if you know how to use it. It provides a creative mind with the ability to display a lot of information concisely and in a digestible manner. There is no problem with PowerPoint. The problem is the ones driving its use. The problem is what I call "left brain extremists" who write evaluations based on the aesthetics of PowerPoint. But in reality, it doesn't matter what format a left brain extremist demands, it will always be painful.
At the end of the day, it is all about what format the decision maker best digests information in to inform himself to make a sound decision. Everything that distracts from that is just bitching.
At the end of the day, it is all about what format the decision maker best digests information in to inform himself to make a sound decision. Everything that distracts from that is just bitching.
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MSG Floyd Williams
PowerPoint says it all for lecturing style training, it helps out the Trainer a whole lot and a better visual idea for military and civilians personnel.
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"In a sign of how Carter intends to challenge his commanders’ thinking, he has banned them from making any PowerPoint presentations — a backbone feature of most U.S. military briefings. "
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/carter-summons-us-military-commanders-diplomats-to-kuwait/2015/02/22/0d06c36e-baab-11e4-b274-e5209a3bc9a9_story.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/carter-summons-us-military-commanders-diplomats-to-kuwait/2015/02/22/0d06c36e-baab-11e4-b274-e5209a3bc9a9_story.html
Carter summons U.S. military commanders, diplomats to Kuwait
The new Pentagon chief wants an intensive strategy discussion about Islamic State; no PowerPoint allowed.
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The madness! The insanity! People actually picking up a phone and talking to each other or worse yet, people get up and walking to someone else's desk to have a conversation? Maybe even driving/walking to another command to have a face-to-face. The craziness wouldn't end there. Next you know leaders would start leading and stop managing. It would be complete pandemonium.
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MAJ (Join to see)
From now on all briefs will be done in Word format, narrow margins, Calibri (Body) 11, black ink. Bullet points are acceptable. Good luck!
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SFC (Join to see)
No Powerpoint?? I don't understand. How would we brief the higher ups on our Medical Readiness Status? I am just waiting for Basic Training to include Powerpoint week.
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LTC Hillary Luton
SFC Mark Merino Yes, the sun will still rise, but it must rise in a pale yellow instead of bright neon yellow. MAJ (Join to see) You know their still going to read the briefs word for word instead of paraphrasing. SFC (Join to see) Good luck with that. :-)
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From a guy that was SGT with butcher block at Bragg in the 90s, I enjoy
using PowerPoint.....but I tend to use 10 slides or less to get my point across.
There's nothing wrong with PowerPoint.....some poeple just don't know how to use it..... see below
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/06/microsoft-helps-the-army-avoid-death-by-powerpoint/
Officially, Dave Karle is an executive communications manager at Microsoft. Less officially, his colleagues have given him another name: the Pied Piper of PowerPoint. His audience is the U.S. Army. Ex...
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