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Schoolkids and generals, trying to solve info overload
Two very different stories with similar messages in the Times today: middle-schoolers try two days without texting (one father says of his BlackBerry, "I'd give anything to put this down"), and the American military uses too much PowerPoint (one general says, "PowerPoint makes us stupid").
Let the bits go. (Read Bit Literacy.)
I do find it interesting, though, that the image that they chose to present in the article actually does a very good job of showing what the author intended: complex interrelatedness . . . something, I'd argue, that is not stupid at all. Indeed, it's something that in order to be successful, you'd need to map out.
Perhaps having it as a Powerpoint slide may not be the best way to absorb that material, but that doesn't make anyone stupider. It just wastes time.
Edward Tufte has a great take on this, leading off with a funny picture involving Stalin and cartoon dialog bubbles: http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/powerpoint
Tufte's problem is that he trashes PowerPoint, but he never offers a mainstream solution at the fingertips of every business person. It's the equivalent of saying that pencils and pens are horrible writing instruments. It may be true, but what else is available to help people reach Tufte's presentation nirvana?
I do agree a visual image of relationships and interdependcies between actions and departments is the perfect end result. This visual provides clearity of the process. The tool being used is completely wrong. Mind Mapping tools are best suited for these purposes. In Europe, mind mapping is taught in schools and used in business; its a concept that really isnt talked about much in the US and now is gaining momentum. Mind mapping is an amazing apporach and there are many software tools that support the menthodlogy very well. Bill Gates, heads of state, IDEO (#1 Innovation Consulting company in the world, Einstein, Leonardo Da Vinci, Al Gore, ...they all used mind mapping every day.