[January 26, 2017] There are a number of military slang phrases and descriptions that are useful in everyday conversation. For example, when we refer to putting everything we’ve got into something, we might say we gave “the whole nine yards.”1 One recent military phrase that plays on humor describes an office-bound staff officer who creates overly complex briefings on Microsoft PowerPoint (or any presentation computer software) as a PowerPoint Ranger.
The term, of course, is both mocking and scathing in military culture because the whole idea of a military is to fight the nation’s enemies. Those who sit in an office and generate paperwork, especially those who create complicated briefing slides that feature too many animations or sound effects, will occupy a low level on a scale of prestige.
All military officers will at one time or another become a member of a commander’s staff. It helps prepare those officers by demonstrating the importance of providing accurate and timely information to the commander in a standardize format. The commander should be able to quickly understand what is presented and thus simplicity is encouraged.
Being a staff officer is important. Leaders should be aware that their staffs exist to help the commander (or company president, owner, or CEO) and assist subordinate leaders. Too often, I’ve found staffs that lack accountability and have forgotten their real task is to support the commander and the mission. They begin to act as if they are the commander.
This is more common than one might think and thus the mocking nature of the phrase, PowerPoint Ranger. Soldiers know when this occurs; they seem to know it instantly and instinctively. This applies to all types of large organizations. In particular I’ve witnessed substantial bureaucracy (also known as “red tape”) in governmental organizations where the person running it is rarely present.
These PowerPoint Rangers can become gatekeepers who have artificially created rules for others to follow in order to ease their own work burden. Anyone visiting a state’s Department of Motor Vehicles can attest to the long wait times, complex forms to fill out, and frustration with the rules that seem to make little sense.
PowerPoint Rangers are everywhere. Military commanders, company presidents, CEOs, or whatever senior leadership position one may have, should be on the lookout for these staff members. They are helpful only when they are engaged with supporting the commander, not when making their own job easier or more prestigious.
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- The whole nine yards is a colloquial American phrase meaning “everything, the whole lot” or when used as an adjective, “all the way.” Its exact origin is unknown but a common explanation is that World War II aircraft machine gun belts were nine yards long. When in battle, a gunner shooting aggressively at an enemy would shoot the entire belt, thus “the whole nine yards.”