Power Point is Killing Us All

There is an insidious disease called powerpointitis it affects the creator and the viewer. The creator doesn't know how to do a presentation without this slide show beast and the viewer is doomed to watch slide, after slide, most often being read to them, with no graphics that illustrate a point, but instead endless bullet points, cheesy sound effects and stock graphics that any elementary child can learn to master. 

Sound familiar?

Unfortunately, this scenario seems to be life as normal for many school rooms and far too many corporate cultures (although I hope once someone gets to the board room they're more savvy by that point). What can you do about it? 

1. Not use Power Point at all.

2. Use the software but don't use the stock templates, images and sounds. Instead, opt for putting some effort into the process.

3. Swear on your mother's (hopefully future) grave that you will never, ever, under any circumstance READ a PPT presentation to your audience. 

4. Have your slide show include the marketing and sales elements that we all know work -- list the uniqueness of your idea, the benefits of knowing it or acting upon it, and the rewards of following through. Leave everything else off the slides and save it for discussion (if you must bring it up at all). 

With a little luck, on all levels, the bad habits of Power Point usage will not plague schools or corporations any longer. Let's kill powerpointitis once and for all!

Silence is Golden

Ever have a classmate or peer who wouldn't be able to last five minutes into a meeting or course session without adding a comment? What reasons do you feel this person had for incessant chattering, even if it was with the teacher or manager?

As an educator, in the school room, I had several students over the year that I actually had to say, "You have three opportunities to talk during class today. Make those comments and questions your most important because you are as important as your classmates, but not more important." It usually worked, especially when I would said, "Okay, this is your first comment. You'll have two left," and so on. 

What does an effective manager do in the board room or training room? Say that you can visit that idea later and move on? Sometimes. Yet others allow their employees to totally monopolize a meeting or training session. We can't always blame the students or employees for breaches of etiquette. Sometimes the person in charge is equally to blame for not stopping it, and peers make it worse by grumbling about it or laughing every time the offender speaks up again, and again. 

The bottom line is, don't be the offender and don't let it happen in your office or classroom. Nobody is worth 90% of the team's time and effort and repeat offenders my find their feet hitting the bricks because they're not a team player.

Randolph-Macon Academy Grads Realize Success from School Lessons

Recently, several professionals were asked by School Room to Board Room (SRTBR) to cite lessons they learned in school and how those lessons made them a better professional or led to their success as an adult in "the real world." These responses begin appearing here today. When possible, the person to brought the response to SRTBR is noted in addition to the responders themselves.

Celeste Brooks, Director of Public Relations at Randolph-Macon Academy, asked alumni to respond and some very strong examples appear here today.
(Thank you to Celeste and to all who participated! Your experiences are invaluable!)



Response #1:"My classmates would be the first to agree that during my five years at R-MA, I rebelled against the military training. At the time, I considered the constant drilling, standing in formation, and protocol a pain. It wasn't until college, and later as I began my career, that I realized why our military trains this way. It is to teach each individual the importance of working together as a team or unit and how to take charge of a situation when necessary. In group situations, I immediately found that my instinct and training led me to recognize the goal, organize my fellow students or co-workers , provide the necessary leadership to make a plan and make assignments to get the task completed. At first, I was astounded why others did not do the same, but then I realized, they hadn't gone to R-MA. I had learned the power of leadership despite myself and I appreciate it to this day.

From a strictly career standpoint, the superior teaching and support I received from my English instructors at R-MA and my opportunity to write for the student newspaper gave me the basis for what has been an over 30-year career in writing for a living. I have written everything from advertising copy to film scripts, from news releases to magazine articles, from speeches for the Governor of Virginia to annual reports for major corporations and I credit R-MA for encouraging me to follow my talents into a successful and fulfilling life's work."

(Of course, the current students won't really believe any of this until they grow as old and "wise" as I am.)-
Jeb Hockman, R-MA Class of '69Manager, Member & Public Relations
VA, MD & DE Association of Electric Cooperatives
Post Office Box 2340, 4201 Dominion Boulevard,
Glen Allen, Virginia 23058-2340(804) 968-4070

Response #2:
My senior year English instructor, Ron McManus, worked very hard to help his students improve their writing skills. He pushed us towards writing excellence and even though it was somewhat painful at the time, he achieved his goal, at least with me. I've never forgotten a statement that he made in class; he said, "If you can write a good business letter, you can write your own ticket." Those words stuck with me through college; I managed to do well in courses that emphasized writing skills. Law school was made easier (if that's possible!) because of the skills learned in high school. I had a successful career and was able to retire before I turned 60. I attribute a great deal of that success to Ron McManus and to those words he spoke so many years ago.
Curtis Thomas, R-MA Class of '63,
Placentia, California

Response #3:
I was one of the few cadets who transferred into R-MA for his SENIOR YEAR of High School, 77-78 season. Having never been exposed to military protocol and regulations this was a major adjustment in mind and body! While in public school I always did well in academics and sports and found being one of the best an easy task without too much effort. My first English class at R-MA was with Colonel McFarland, whom I admire and respect to this day. I wrote a paper that would have easily been graded an 'A' in another school and turned it in to the Colonel. The next day in class I received the paper back with a huge red 'F' on the cover!! How could this be? I had misspelled three words in my outline and he went no further into my paper.....F!

After my surprise and anger wore off I learned a valuable lesson which has served me my entire life. Attention to detail and the "little things in life" are the most important ingredient to success! In addition, always strive to be the best you can be which is most probably better than you are!By the way, my very next paper submitted to Colonel McFarland was an 'A,' which I worked very hard to maintain. After R-MA I was the honor graduate from platoon from Parris Island USMC and served for four years. I spent the next 20 years as a Massachusetts State Trooper and earned my degree in Criminal Justice from UMASS while on the job.
Sgt. Daniel M. Clark USMC (80-84) MSP (85-05 ret.)
R-MA Class of 78

Randolph-Macon Academy, founded in 1892, is a college-preparatory, coeducational boarding school for students in grades 6 through 12. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and students in grades 9-12 participate in the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. R-MA is located in Front Royal, VA.