7. Cheat Sheets.
Why must people hand out advance hard copies of their presentations? It’s just foolish to think folks will simply “follow along” when they can flip ahead and start trashing proposals on page seventy-three when the speaker is still on five.
8. Frivolous Fonts.
Seriously, what is up with all the fonts? Instead of a standard size, PowerPoint text always seems too small or too big; precise PR-types pack every page with ten-point Palatino while sloppy sales guys project simple in size forty-four Comic Sans (typos and all). And don’t get me started about shades and shadows, and serious subjects presented in a ridiculous rainbow of colors ...
9. Corporate Waste.
Ever served as an executive advancer, the high ranker who pushes the buttons during the PowerPoint presentation of a higher ranker? I once had to fly to London to manage “logistics” during a lecture given by the boss of my boss. It seems no one else was qualified to hit “enter” at the end of each slide. Great way to sharpen the skill set …
10. E-bombs.
Don’t you hate the people who pass along PowerPoint presentations via email? Attached please find a zillon-pound PowerPoint to blow out your Blackberry / inbox. It isn’t particularly interesting or insightful, but boy, it sure is big!
Okay, it’s your turn—what did I miss? Please post your grievances below, and together we can work to make every week a “Just Say No to PowerPoints Week”!
Remember, if you don’t have anything nice to say, my door is always open …
Never miss a Musings from the Corner Office column again. Just click on the author’s name at the top of the story, then select “Be notified when writer publishes” at the top of the page. We’ll send you an email as soon as a new column is published.
