Death by PowerPoint. PowerPoint stinks. )(@*#%)($& PowerPoint. PowerPoint is not effective. PowerPoint has been overused! Do not use PowerPoint.
The saga seems to go on and on. In fact, we have heard so much about it that most of us are saying enough with the dissing of PowerPoint. What if it really is what you have to work with? I mean, really, what if it is the program that your corporation has and it is all you've got. Well, that is the situation that I am in and so, I am faced with the decision to put up or shut up, aren't I? I've done a little bit of research and it seems it's not entirely PowerPoint's fault, although it is so nice to blame the technology, isn't it? It could just be operator error, whether it's not learning all there is to learn, not being creative or just not having any idea of what could be done to make a presentation more meaningful for the audience. That was not a typo, I really did say the audience.
This video takes us back to the basics of developing a presentation. It's so important that we remember the presentation is not for the presenter, but it is a tool to help deliver the meaning of our presentation. Five Rules for Creating Great Presentations utilizes PowerPoint to create a very engaging reminder of five guidelines we should all keep in mind the next time we rev up PowerPoint for a new presentation:
1. Treat your audience as king.
2. Spared ideas and move people.
3. Help them see what you are saying.
4. Practice design, not decoration.
5. Cultivate healthy relationships.
These guidelines can help us to move the PowerPoint portion of our presentation (because that's what it is, a part of the entire package) to the background so it is supporting the message, not the vehicle delivering the message. You see, the person presenting the message is still the most important part of delivering the true meaning of the message. So, maybe it is time to get back on the horse and learn something new about an old mainstay. Give it a chance, with the right operator, PowerPoint can be an effective tool in your tool belt!
Oh boy! PP - I agree. Even I have noticed that I am sick of slamming it. And it seems, despite all this other wonderful technology we have out there, a lot of companies are sticking with PP. So then the question really does become how can I use it effectively - differently? It is hard to do. Hopefully with all this death by Powerpoint stuff we can at least get away from presentations that have 50 pp slides! ;)
ReplyDeleteit is interesting this should come up. I am a strong believer in using a variety of tools when making a presentation and the tools I use have as much to do with the content of my message as anything else. It's true we are often bureaucratically stuck with powerrpoint so it is a good idea to know how to use it for greatest impact.
ReplyDeleteMy pet peeve is using it for a bulleted list ofs complete sentences that the presenter then reads straight from the screen. That is most often a sign of a ppt novice.
If one is relegated to ppt, then use of a variety of visuals ranging from images and videos to audio clips to graphs, histograms to yes, sometimes a bulleted list help build your point and engage your audience. Slide narration is another tool available with PowerPoint...
My point I guess is if you can'ypt beat 'em, join 'em! If one must participate, one might as well know how to use it effectively so one does not risk losing credibility due to a poorly designed PowerPoint presentation. Eh?
I think you are right, Wendy. PPT is frowned upon because it hasn't been used effectively. It was "all about the pretty" at first, replacing transparencies with color, movement and sound.
ReplyDeleteI like this post (http://www.thecontenteconomy.com/2010/09/dont-start-with-tools.html). While it talks about social media, the ending quote applies here: "A fool with a tool is still a fool." Use your tools wisely, and you edge out the fools.
Great video.
You are all so right! The problem is not Power Point it is the the creator/presenter of the slides. I love the quote in Shannon's post. That is so true for any technology. If the design is bad the tool will not save you.
ReplyDeletePower Point it often abused. Thanks for your tips. Hopefully one by one we can convince the world to stop abusing the software!
ReplyDelete