powerpoint ranger

One thing I begin to appreciate about my previous job in teaching is that I didn't need to get my powerpoint slides vetted before using them. There was no limit to how good or how bad your presentations could be.

Much to my frustration, this isn't the case for my current job. Now I have more slides to do but less freedom to play with. With different organization structure and different nature of job, I guess you can't compare, but still... Slides need to be vetted by 3 levels, and usually the hardest to get through is the 1st layer: my direct superior. Let's just say different people have different expectation and attitude at work, some want to show off while others want to keep a low profile, but most would want to cover their behind without taking any chance. So much talk for cutting red tape when it can take months to clear one powerpoint presentation.

It doesn't help that I am pretty anal when it comes to powerpoint slides. I believe in "death by powerpoint", but it is a necessary evil in today's corporate world. So next, I don't believe in wordy slides. I guess we all have been through boring presentations, so no need to elaborate. But the !@#$%^&* generation just loves slides cluttered with words like a MRT train at 6pm's Raffles Place. "You need to put in more content", but the content is going to come from my mouth! I might as well throw them the slides and let them read on their own if you want me to read from the screen. You want me to present, but you have revamped my slides until I don't feel comfortable presenting, so what's the point? One more thing, I don't believe in presenting with another person's slides.

And you know what is the best part, when upper level screw me, you join in the screwing when you were the one bastardizing my slides.

(I've only shown my real powerpoint power to the 2 profs who assessed my final year project. Still feel proud about it)