Comments on: Essay: Dumb-dumb bullets As a decision-making aid, PowerPoint is a poor tool BY T.X. HAMMES

By: Don

Don — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:43:30 +0000

I am glad you guys straightened him on the speakers, those guys are volunteering to participate so they can speak on our behalf (the guys from TRADOC that are coming), and Bruce G wants to come because he believes are are finally making big strides. He is coming out of pocket, but riding up with me. I like the idea of the dinner for all of us (us paying is no big deal). I believe we are going have a great three days. I think we are finally building a network of support for OBTE and ALM.

Don

By: MAJ Chad Foster

MAJ Chad Foster — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:54:18 +0000

I am sure that we can accommodate them at the workshop. COL Haskins, however, somehow got the wrong impression that we were having a bunch of external guys up to speak. Anyway, he now knows that these guys are really just coming to observe and learn something about how we are applying this stuff and to see your workshop.

Also, COL Haskins wants us to have an evening dinner (probably on Thursday the 6th) at a site out in Cornwall for everyone to attend. We are working on getting a private room reserved. Everyone will have to pay for their own meals, but we will be able to have some more discussion about OBT&E after we eat. At any rate, it will be a good chance to build our networks.

By the way, do you know if Morgan Darwin is coming? I am up in Newport, so I don’t have access to my work email, and I haven’t heard from him since I invited him a while back.

By: Don

Don — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:05:56 +0000

Great comments Chad, I also did a workshop today at the Marine Expeditionary Warfare School (EWS) at Quantico, their captains course. I have one more day tomorrow. They asked if they could send a couple of their people to the workshop in August. I told them to let COL Haskins know. Their new director went to the war college with COL Haskins. The word is spreading. They are converting their entire POI to ALM this year.

Don

By: MAJ Chad Foster

MAJ Chad Foster — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:31:17 +0000

Ms. Nicholas,

From my experience, the fewer slides in a presentation, the more worthwhile it is (assuming that the briefer actually engages the audience in active discussion). If the slides are merely general “stage-setters” or basic visual tools, then PowerPoint isn’t quite as bad as what the above article makes it out to be. However, the problem is that this seldom happens. Complex concepts or information are reduced to overly simplistic slide “bullets” and the briefers rely on dazzling their audience with a bunch of visual “hocus-pocus” (animation, “cool” pictures, etc.) rather than on providing anything of real substance. Like any other tool, it is up to the user to determine how much “good” it will be.

The problem is that the proliferation of PowerPoint has also spawned the many other accompanying problems (such as the one mentioned above and the others outlined in the article). If you approach using PowerPoint with the right mentality . . . that it is not the “show” that matters, but instead it is the actual “substance” with which you engage your targeted audience . . . you can probably figure out a way to leverage PowerPoint effectively and do some good.

By: anna nicholas

anna nicholas — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:27:43 +0000

I’m not at all familiar with PP except the occasional soporific update event . I can see what you mean about time and slideology . However , I’m yet again trying to produce a training manual for my business ( yes , read +digested yr book Don ) and have often wished I could produce as a computor game ( Call Of Duty 1V: Chaos Clinic ) But dont have the means to do myself or hire someone to do . But does PP allow it to be a homeproduced ‘ game ‘? The Quad slides – can each choice be followed through a virtual sliding door as a tree of consequences ? Can participants add ( type in )something the presenter hasnt thought of ? can the presenter instantly modify the slides , allowing the presentation to become a discussion ?

By: Fred

Fred — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:12:28 +0000

As a once avid user of PowerPoint myself I have to say I agree with the message of this artciel by T.X Hammes and the comments as well. If information sharing is the goal I can see its use. But in the worlld of trying to develop decision makers the slides and bullet points tend to be saying and teaching “what to do” instead of developing thinkers and decision makers who have the capability to adapt to changing condiitons.

I see this often in law enforcment where officers in a tactical situation wants to apply what soemone told them to do instead of using their own insight, innovation and know how to the situation at hand , this inspite of their intuitive sense telling them they should be doing something else. If we truely want to develop decision makers applied knowledge is the key. As Chad said in his commnets this takes effort and persistance, Style over substance can be very costly, in our business that cost can most certainly be the difference between life and death.

Learn, unlearn and relearn…even in our methods of how we teach! Adaptability…Evolutionary adaptabiltiy! It takes strength of character to PRATICE what we PREACH!

Fred

By: don

don — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:12:26 +0000

Great comments Chad, your exactly right, PowerPoint is a sympton of lack of true professionalism. Just had the same argument about OBTE and ALM, people are already arguing that OBTE is giving a ticket to leaders not to train to Army standard, when in fact this is an excuse. OBTE, like Maneuver Warfare, is graduate level stuff. You have to be good to do it.

Laziness among those who proclaim they are professionals, when in fact they are nothing more that a “suit” is always our downfall.

See you in August, Don

By: MAJ Chad Foster

MAJ Chad Foster — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:49:34 +0000

I saw this article in the most recent issue of the Armed Forces Journal. Truly an outstanding read and great points! I have always thought that the proliferation of PowerPoint reflected a wider (and far more malignant) trend: style over substance and process over results. In short, as long as it “briefs well” we are ok. Leaders at all levels have started to become intellectually lazy, and they don’t want to spend the effort needed to really get their minds around what they are doing. You can see this in many other examples, too, such as when a higher level leader never seems to want to expend the time and energy to give needed assistance in solving a complicated problem for a subordinate unit . . . however, when things are seen as “easy” and straightforward, these higher HQ types never fail to chime-in with their “guidance” or suggestions (whether or not this was needed or requested by the subordinate unit). The rise of PowerPoint is probably just symptomatic of a larger problem.