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Why PowerPoint Should Be Banned
An anonymous reader writes: An editorial at the Washington Post argues that Microsoft PowerPoint is being relied upon by too many to do too much, and we should start working to get rid of it. "Its slides are oversimplified, and bullet points omit the complexities of nearly any issue. The slides are designed to skip the learning process, which — when it works — involves dialogue, eye-to-eye contact and discussions. Of course PowerPoint has merits — it can help businesses with their sales pitches or let teachers introduce technology into the classroom. But instead of being used as a means for a dynamic engagement, it has become a poor substitute for longer, well-thought-out briefings and technical reports. It has become a crutch."
Meetings can be made efficient. My meetings usually are. I invite people for their topic to the correct minute. Yes, minute. Give or take 5, but it's patently USELESS to have someone sit in a meeting for an hour if all the matters to him is about 10 minutes thereof. I don't need the design crew to discuss security matters, even though I do need them in the meeting in general. The meeting has an agenda and it has a time slice for every topic to be discussed. If you think you need more time, tell me in advance, but during the meeting, you will have your time slice and what you cannot get done in that slice will either have to wait 'til the next meeting or you will have to discuss it outside.
It took a few meetings for people to get a hang of it and it was a VERY fierce uphill battle (and I'm glad I had a lot of support from higher up or it would never have had a chance to fly), but now we get more done in a single 45 minute meeting than we used to do in a 4+ hour meeting. Yes, that also means that people have to come prepared and that they have to be PRECISELY on time. But their benefit is that instead of sitting around for hours and staring holes into the wall 'cause things are being discussed that are of no interest to them they come to the meeting, can talk about their topics with everyone they need and be gone again within less than 15 minutes.
Plus I now need much smaller meeting rooms since few people are going to be around during the whole meeting.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Someone used a hammer to drive a screw. We should consider using more useful tools for the problem at hand.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Ban the tool because of people who misuse it. Sounds like gun control. And religion control. And everything else ever.
The proposed "result" of banning PowerPoint is basically the utopian dream if everyone were using it right. And the whole thing is a presentation.
Katrin Park is an idiot.
In almost thirty years as a professional, I can say I have *NEVER* never never ever being to a productive meeting. A meeting that soothed some insecurity by a boss or client? Sure. A meeting where real decisions where taken after meaningful conversation and discussion? Nope.
I bet most of your meetings have been of the scheduled kind. Those meetings, including the "daily standup", take on a life of their own and are very rarely productive. On the other hand, meetings that are organized for a specific goal can be productive if everyone is able to contribute and buy into the result.