True confessions

That's it. I've sold my soul. It's finally dawned on me exactly how deep the depths are that I've plumbed. I have a confession to make, I must unburden my soul.

I had to run a training session today, an introduction to our accounting systems and associated procedures for some of the new people in the contracts management department. Nothing too exacting - just an overview with some pointers to some of the pitfalls and things to look out for when they interface their invoices. Not a problem, you might think. It's just that, how can I put this? When I was asked to run the session my first thought was .... gulp ... to create some slides in powerpoint.

Noooooo!

Time was when I would have printed off some notes and extemporized for a while, but I honestly thought it would look a bit more professional and interesting if I prepared something in advance. What have I done? Have I learnt nothing from all of the times I've sat through endless powerpoint presentations seriously contemplating gnawing off my leg in order to escape the tedium?

Truly I have become Dilbert, destroyer of corporate souls ....

As I was hooking my laptop to the plasma screen in the meeting room I saw sense and junked all but twelve of the slides, removed the stupid transition effects and irritating noises from the rest, and spent most of session demonstrating the procedures for real rather than just talking about them, but it was a close call.