The Crutch that is PowerPoint
PowerPoint should enhance the experience, not be the experience
Welcome to Pushing Ink, where we discuss the broken world of work, mostly, mixed with pop culture, sometimes … among other hot topics.
Ever wonder why some movies withstand the test of time? No matter how many decades pass, they continue to resonate with audiences in meaningful ways. Maybe it’s the inspiring story of resilience and fresh beginnings in The Sound of Music, or the unexpected mix of comedy and deep philosophy in Groundhog Day.
Or perhaps it’s the brutally relatable depiction (albeit a comedy) of the soul-crushing office culture in Office Space, a film that still speaks to workers everywhere.
Quick rundown: Office Space is a 1999 comedy that satirizes the drudgery of corporate office life. It follows Peter Gibbons, an employee stuck in a soul-sucking cubicle farm at a software company. Frustrated with his boring tasks, micromanaging boss, and soul-extinguishing environment, Peter and his coworkers decide to rebel. Known for its humorous take on office culture, the movie features iconic scenes like a printer-smashing meltdown. It is easily quotable (TPS reports, red staplers, and flair, anyone?) and became a cult classic, resonating with anyone who’s ever been stuck in a dead-end cubicle job or, well, just about any job, nowadays.
Office Space truly begs the question, how does a movie about the absolute worst of the corporate world remain so relevant, despite some of its dated elements? The technology within its cubicle farm—fax machines, bulky monitors, and floppy disks—is an obvious giveaway of a bygone era. Yet, the film endures, eliciting eye-rolls of acknowledgement to hapless leadership, guffaws on the ridiculousness that is the requirements that persist in working world (how much flair equates to a team player), and sighs of exasperation from anyone who has suffered through the grind of corporatese and corporate life. The latter something that has seeped into nearly every job out there with such efficiency it makes one wonder if we are all suffering some sort of capitalistic pandemic for which there is no cure, not even a vaccine.
However, today’s Pushing Ink is not about the enduring cubicle farms, the endless stream of micromanagers, or even glorious red staplers. No, it’s not TPS reports. Well, not entirely. Office Space isn’t even the focus. It is simply the red carpet rolled out to greet you, dear reader, regarding dated-ness. For as I gaze upon this film from its dusty shelf in 1999 (and weep over the passage of time), I’m struck by how one item from a bygone era continues to endure despite everything.
And what is it? What’s that one item that so vexes me.
Drum roll please...
PowerPoint.
Stay With Me
PowerPoint was introduced by Microsoft in 1987. It was initially created by a software company called Forethought (the irony), which Microsoft acquired. PowerPoint quickly became a staple for business presentations, especially as personal computers and office technology evolved.
So while it wasn’t featured in the movie Office Space, it certainly would have been active somewhere within its fictional landscape. I’ve no doubt Lumbergh would treat PowerPoint as the ultimate micromanaging tool:
“Yeeeeaaaah, if you could just, uh, format that presentation to really, uh, optimize the flow. And make sure the font is consistent throughout, that’d be great. Also, remember, let’s not overcomplicate things. Just, uh, a simple 37-slide deck should cover everything, nothing too long and flashy.”
Meanwhile, our movie hero, Peter, would use PowerPoint much as I would, reluctantly, dragging through it with zero enthusiasm and probably throwing in some passive-aggressive humor:
“I guess we could, like, add some slides. But, uh, I’m not really sure if I even care what’s on them, at this point. I mean, PowerPoint is not gonna fix everything, right? Anyway, here’s a slide that says ‘The End’ … that’ll probably cover it.”
If PowerPoint had been a featured tool in the Office Space universe, perhaps instead of battling malfunctioning printers or working through endless TPS reports, employees might have been forced to endure ‘bullet-point hell.’ A barrage of dull slides filled with charts no one cares about and vague corporate jargon sprinkled throughout that would make even the most apathetic workers cringe. (Let’s hear it for SILOS!) Instead of destroying the much-despised printer out of pure, unfiltered frustrated rage …
… our heroes would have been out destroying—erm, well, wait. I guess every computer and laptop in the office as PowerPoint is everywhere.
EVERYWHERE!
Let’s Circle Back
All right, the reason we’re really here today is for my pure hate of the software known as PowerPoint. It’s the go-to tool (the crutch) for delivering must-have slideshows in any and every corporate meeting (and then some). But what’s really happening behind those charts and endless bullet points? It’s death and destruction. It is the silent killer of creativity, the dead-eyed drone of office culture.
Kill PowerPoint! I say. Kill it with fire! I scream.
Seriously, though, why are we like this? Just like those frustrating printer jams, PowerPoint slides ruin your flow. Every. single. time. The over-designed templates that make the whole thing look like an explosion of corporate cliches. Over-use of animations to make jargon words POP. Let’s have silo slide in from the left, that be cool. Is something I just KNOW someone is not only thinking about doing, but actually doing, right this minute.
Who decided that a sea of bullet points was the best way to explain something?
Similar to the printer smash-up scene, PowerPoint deserves its own baseball bat. And yet... here we are, chained to it. Why? Is it because someone in a corner office decided that every presentation needs a slick, 30-slide deck PowerPoint to look professional? Or because the corporate world is obsessed with justifying anything with a pie chart? Who are we even impressing? Our colleagues? Our clients? Ourselves?
More importantly, who are we putting to sleep? I don’t know about you, but my maladaptive daydreaming comes in hot and fast when a PowerPoint shows up. (Eat your heart out, Walter Mitty!) You can forget my staying attuned. My brain has me reworking a Hitman map or debating a paragraph in one of the half-dozen books I’ve written and fear to publish.
Sure, we can pretend PowerPoint adds value, but deep down, we know it’s just a method of showing we’re fabulous being and looking busy, filling up the time in meetings with flashy colors and empty jargon. It’s like we’re all in a never-ending cycle of corporate meetings where everyone’s pretending to be engaged, but nobody actually cares. Who’s going to remember the bullet points? Who even remembers what was said five minutes after the meeting ends? Yawn. Sorry, I’ve just improved my game score or came up with another book to write. Eagerly seeking a piece of paper and a pen, something, anything to write on before I lose an idea created during someone’s PowerPoint about … uhm, what was it?
Don’t Get Me Wrong
Now, I’m not saying PowerPoint doesn’t have its moments. If you must show a chart, or a handful of key points, maybe some pretty pictures, sure, go ahead and use it. But here’s the thing—PowerPoint should enhance the experience, not be the experience. It should NOT be a crutch or be a TPS report.
What if we stopped hiding behind slides and actually engaged people? Instead of spending an hour clicking through endless slides, why not spend a few minutes discussing a concept, then follow it up with an activity that gets everyone involved? I’m talking about the kind of interactive, hands-on experience that gets people out of their seats or, at the very least, into the conversation.
No, I’m not looking at you icebreakers. You can die, too. Please and thank you!
Picture this: you kick off with a quick 10-minute discussion, maybe with a few images to set the stage. Then, instead of dragging on with slide after slide, you give your audience a chance to do something. Something that makes the topic come alive for them. Let them touch it, feel it, experiment with it. This is where the magic happens, where the audience takes ownership of the idea, not just watch it passively. After all, when was the last time a PowerPoint actually inspired creativity or sparked a real conversation?
Honestly, have you ever walked away from a PowerPoint presentation with a wide smile, eyes bright, taking in a deep, satisfied breath, one hand on your hip (maybe both!) feeling like a brand new person?
There Are Other Options
If your presentation cannot be physical, then present it in a new way. How about a video? Guest speakers (who don’t come chained to a PowerPoint) or any host of other creative options such as role-playing, skits, improv. Live demonstrations. Storytelling complete with props. Panel discussion with questions or my particular favorite, gamification.
Remember. Certain tools, like PowerPoint has a primary function to help users organize information in a clear and structured way. However, when such a tool becomes so widespread and ingrained in daily use it becomes not only taken for granted but invisible.
PowerPoint has become so standard in the corporate and educational world that its presence is mostly unnoticed. It’s expected and accepted with a sigh, and a quick disconnect. Coffee, pizza, snacks offered during isn’t enough to save the mind from checking out. So why not do something unexpected? Whatever that may be. Let the creative juices flow. Really, truly think outside the box. Get outside the box! Get out from under PowerPoint.
Now excuse me while I finish mourning the long-lost year of 1999 and make sure my red stapler is exactly where I last left it.
Until next time, my friends—take your breaks, breathe, and be ready to lead.
Beth aka The Pushing Ink
Now for some humor
About me
I’ve been interested in the broken world of work for as long as I can remember. I began my working adventures at age 12, delivering newspapers, and since then, it has been one head-scratching employment-lesson after the next.
While I initially returned to school late in life to be a divorce counselor, I switched it up to follow my genuine passion—fixing the broken world of work and pointing out the snobbery in jobs. I obtained a bachelor’s in Applied Psychology in 2014 (work psychology) and a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership in 2018.
With over two decades in and out of the newspaper business, covering the city beat along with court cases and more, plus multiple years in the broken nonprofit sector, I’m back with a new goal and path with Pushing Ink, the namesake of a former newspaper column, my passion project. Topics include leadership, eliminating student debt, mental health (particularly the tyranny of niceness and ending people-pleasing) gaming, books, and humor when possible.
Visit me (a continued work-in-progress) at Youtube among other social media sites (minus the former bird app) under Pushing Ink.
