Essay: Dumb-dumb bullets

[Administrator]

Every year, the services spend millions of dollars teaching our people how to think. We invest in everything from war colleges to noncommissioned officer schools. Our senior schools in particular expose our leaders to broad issues and historical insights in an attempt to expose the complex and interactive nature of many of the decisions they will make.

http://www.armedforcesjournal.com/2009/07/4061641

[schmedlap]

Mr. Hammes,

Your article was difficult for me to follow. So as to aid others in understanding it, I painstakingly put it into a more readable slide format.

[yclegg]

Mr. Hammes’ essay on the negative impact of PowerPoint on decision making is an insult to any decision maker worth his salt. While Mr. Hammes acknowledges that his observation may be a ‘sweeping generalization’, he goes on to lay out a broad critique of how PowerPoint has changed not only the way decisions are made, but how key decision-makers’ calendars are managed. In response to his assertion that PowerPoint is “actively hostile” to thoughtful decision making, I can only say that PowerPoint is a tool – nothing more. Criticism of how it is used should be directed at those who design and/or give the briefing. As to the lack of critical thinking and analysis and the ‘reduction of complex issues to bullet points”, this too, is the fault of the briefer, not the tool. There are excellent briefings that convey complex issues, and then there are very poor briefings that confuse or misaddress the issues. A smart decision maker can tell the difference. Mr. Hammes cites the lack of time to study the brief consequently leads to a rushed decision. In my experience on the Joint Staff, all briefings must be provided as a read ahead prior to their presentation, to include all associated background material. This allows the subject matter experts to review and advise decision makers on any potential issues of concern. Not only that, but the decision makers review the briefing as well, as none are eager to be surprised. Additionally, most briefings are accompanied by ‘5x8’, which is a succinct one page summary of the purpose, issue, bottom line up front, and way ahead, to include background information. In his two and a half pages of critique, Mr. Hammes does not provide any examples of poor decisions attributable to PowerPoint. In short, his assertion is not well argued. Perhaps he should have used a PowerPoint presentation to make his point.

[n4aof]

Originally Posted by yclegg

Mr. Hammes’ essay on the negative impact of PowerPoint on decision making is an insult to any decision maker worth his salt.

You are 100% right. BUT that doesn't change the fact that what he describes is also at least 99% true.

The process he describes IS EXACTLY how most decisions are made today.

[ChiaPsyant]

Originally Posted by schmedlap

Mr. Hammes,

Your article was difficult for me to follow. So as to aid others in understanding it, I painstakingly put it into a more readable slide format.

Couldn't draw up your presentation, but here's an alternative to Mr. Hammes: Edw. Tufte's PowerPoint. Tufte has said that Power Point is basically an ad for Microsoft & that it's designed to make the presenter feel comfortable, rather than to inform.

[nweaver]

Originally Posted by schmedlap

Mr. Hammes,

Your article was difficult for me to follow. So as to aid others in understanding it, I painstakingly put it into a more readable slide format.

That bit is brilliant!

One thing which powerpoint supports but nobody seems to USE is the notes feature. To my mind, if you want to explain something in powerpoint where you don't also have a paper [1], the notes pages are an invaluable place to actually put text, discussion, backing material, etc, which will allow the presentation to work beyond the presenter.

[1] (I'm an academic researcher, we often use powerpoint but its backed up by a lot of other documentation. EG, the academic conference presentation is in many ways a 20 minute advertisement for 'read the paper')

[cb97424]

I recognize too many of the problems Hammes writes about. My aha moment re: Powerpoint (Keynote, actually) came when someone introduced me to the philosophy in Presentation Zen ([url]http://www.presentationzen.com)[url]. As others have noted, slides ought to support rather than direct decisions.