The PowerPoint Trap: How Slides Became the Enemy of Clear Thinking
TL;DR: PowerPoint was meant to enhance communication, not replace thinking. Yet more leaders now default to slides over memos, creating unclarity that feeds bureaucracy and poor decision-making.
At the risk of dating myself, I remember when I was in the Air Force and we mostly communicated via memoranda. Fast forward to my first corporate job—starting in the brand and leadership schoolhouse that is Procter & Gamble—and the ability to write in "memo format" served me well. Why? Long before Bezos eschewed PowerPoint and put into practice the 6-page memo doctrine, P&G mostly communicated through Memos, training every new hire on the fundamentals of Leadership on Paper (LOP).
LOP wasn't just about format, it was about forcing clarity of thought. Every recommendation had to include the situation, proposal, rationale, and implications. No hiding behind animations or stock photos. Your thinking was naked on the page.
"Writing is the process by which you realize that you do not understand what you are talking about. Of course, you can learn a lot about something without writing about it. However, writing about something complicated and hard to pin down acts as a test to see how well you understand it. When we approach our work as a stranger, we often discover how something that seems so simple in our heads is explained entirely wrong." — Shane Parrish
I've taken the LOP training several times during my career, as have countless others, but PowerPoint seems to insist on becoming the de facto communication standard, which it was never intended for.
Recently, a good friend who had just assumed the C-suite mantle reached out and asked if I had any of my old LOP training materials. Only a few have survived my many relocations, but I shared what I had along with my notes and what I could recall from memory (and what I have instituted in practice).
He mused, "As much as I thought the P&G way was [could be] constricting, I need to bring in some good ole fashioned memos."
Indeed.
I do the same thing in every new corporate role that I've assumed. I directly or subtly, depending on the stakeholders and my manager's receptivity, introduce Memos and LOP principles as a way to sharpen thinking, reduce meetings (yes, really), and measurably improve communication and meeting outcomes.
Net, here's my first hypothesis:
Most leaders today are hiding behind PowerPoint, and it's making us collectively dumber.
There. I said it.
Don't believe me? Let's dig in.
The Hidden Cost of Misused PowerPoint
We've all been there. The meeting that could have been an email. The presentation that somehow makes a simple concept incomprehensible. But this isn't just about wasted time, it's about how poor PowerPoint use is fundamentally rewiring how leaders think and communicate.
Consider the evidence:
Studies show that audiences comprehend less when the same material is simultaneously delivered by text and speech, and that for many settings, audio-only delivery of text is more effective (podcasts!). This phenomenon, known as the "redundancy effect" in cognitive load theory, explains why presenters reading out loud the text on the slide is an additional barrier to comprehension.
Research from Baylor University found that slides containing three or fewer bullet points and twenty or fewer words were more effective than slides with higher density. Yet how many corporate presentations follow this guidance?
While these studies focus on educational settings, similar cognitive principles likely apply in business contexts.
The Science Behind the Struggle
Cognitive Load Theory, developed by educational psychologist John Sweller, explains why many PowerPoint presentations fail. Working memory is limited, and each form of presentation of new material (written text, audio instruction, visual diagram, etc.) requires its allotment of working memory to process.
When presenters display text-heavy slides while speaking, they're forcing audiences to process information through what researchers call the "phonological loop," both processed in the language domain, creating cognitive overload. When slides were overloaded with both text and complex diagrams, the students' engagement dropped significantly, to the point where almost nothing was absorbed from the diagrams.
To be clear: this research critiques poor PowerPoint use, not the tool itself. When used properly—with minimal text, clear visuals, and strategic pacing—presentations can be highly effective. The problem is how rarely we see these best practices in action.
The Memo Renaissance: Why Writing Still Wins
Jeff Bezos famously banned PowerPoint at Amazon in favor of six-page narrative memos. Bezos’s key argument for this “unconventional” approach is that, although written communication requires more time initially, it ultimately saves time due to the resulting clarity and the depth of thought necessary for written presentations.
He contends that it's impossible to compose a six-page, narrative-structured memo without achieving clear thinking. As Bezos explained in an internal email:
"Writing a good memo is harder than 'writing' a 20-page PowerPoint because the narrative structure of a good memo forces better thought and better understanding of what's more important than what, and how things are related."
While Amazon's approach works for them, it's worth noting that we don't hear about companies that tried memos and failed. Still, the principles are compelling:
Think about what happens when you write a memo:
You can't hide behind visuals. Your logic must stand on its own.
You must think linearly. Ideas need to flow and connect.
Clarity becomes mandatory. Vague concepts die on the page.
Readers can digest at their own pace. No presenter racing through slides.
According to several who have covered this topic in depth, these ways of working allowed decision makers at Amazon to consume far more information in a meeting, which resulted in better-informed people making higher-quality decisions and delivering better, more detailed feedback on the presenting team's tactical and strategic plans.
The Bureaucracy Amplifier Hypothesis
Here's my second hypothesis that warrants further investigation:
The rise of poor PowerPoint use may contribute to increased corporate bureaucracy.
I believe misused PowerPoint enables what I call "performative communication": the appearance of clarity without the substance. You simply cannot gloss over an important topic in a narrative memo, especially when you know it's going to be dissected by an audience full of critical thinkers.
I posit that when leaders can't write clearly, they often can't think clearly. And when they can't think clearly, they may create processes and layers to compensate. Of course, many factors drive bureaucracy, but unclear communication certainly doesn't help.
The connection between my two hypotheses?
When we hide behind slides instead of developing clear thinking through writing, we create organizations that prize form over function, activity over outcomes.
That's the breeding ground for bureaucracy.
The Memo vs. Demo Framework
Now, I recognize that not everything needs a memo. I’ve created dozens of presentations, and sometimes you genuinely need elegant, powerful visuals to crisply capture the imagination (something about a picture being worth a thousand words…).
But, and I stand by this, PowerPoint should be used sparingly and only AFTER the Memo is written first.
Here's my framework for choosing the right tool:
Write a MEMO when:
You need a decision (not just input)
The topic requires nuanced thinking
You're proposing a strategy or policy
You need to document reasoning
Success depends on a clear understanding
Create a DEMO (presentation) when:
You're showing a product or prototype
Teaching a skill or process
Presenting data that's genuinely visual
Running a workshop or interactive session
Celebrating wins with visual impact
The key is matching the medium to the message, not defaulting to slides for everything.
Four Actions to Consider to Reclaim Your Communication Edge
Institute "Memo Mondays"
Pick one regular meeting and require written briefs instead of slides
Start with a simple template: Situation, Proposal, Rationale, Implications
Watch how quickly unclear thinking gets exposed
Practice "Silent Meeting Starts"
Follow Amazon's lead: A crucial Amazon meeting rule of the 6-pager method is the dedicated reading time at the start of each meeting. In this silent period, attendees spend roughly 30 minutes reviewing the memo.
Even 10 minutes of silent reading transforms discussion quality
Notice which leaders struggle (and help them grow)
The One-Page Test
Before creating any presentation, write a one-page summary
If you can't explain it clearly in writing, more slides won't help
Crafting a memo requires time for writing, peer review, and iterative refinement to ensure clarity of ideas and thoughtful analysis.
Create a "PowerPoint Parking Lot"
Track presentations vs. decisions made (target: >50% decision rate)
Calculate hours spent creating vs. value delivered
Share these metrics quarterly with your team
Final Thought: Writing is Leadership
In our rush to be visual, dynamic, and "engaging," we've forgotten that often the hardest work of leadership happens in forming thoughts worth sharing. And that work happens best when we're forced to write them down.
So here's my challenge: Cancel one PowerPoint presentation this week. Write a memo instead. Feel the discomfort. Push through it.
Because on the other side of that discomfort is clarity. And clarity is what separates leaders from bureaucrats.
Simple, not easy.
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