What do you think about Jeff Bezos’ approach to team meetings at Amazon, where the use of PowerPoint was prohibited and replaced by written narratives?
Product Operations Program ManagerBarcelona, Cataluña, Spain
During Jeff Bezos’ time as CEO of Amazon, teams were not allowed to use PowerPoint in internal meetings. Instead, participants were required to prepare written documents describing the topic to be discussed. These documents were shared in advance and then read during the meeting before opening the discussion. This meeting format was used across the organization and applied to team reviews, decision-making meetings, and project-related discussions.
How do you view this way of operating, and what is your opinion on this meeting approach?
Project Manager | Driving Clean Energy Innovations for a Sustainable Future| Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Ontario, Canada
I see this less as an anti-PowerPoint rule and more as a push for better thinking. Written narratives force clarity, logic, and shared understanding—especially for complex or high-stakes decisions. Slides often hide weak assumptions behind visuals. That said, it only works in cultures that value strong writing and allow time to prepare. Otherwise, it becomes friction. For me, the lesson is: choose the format based on the decision, not habit. Saving Changes...
I see this as a strong way to improve thinking and decision quality. Written narratives force clarity, logic, and ownership, while slides often hide gaps behind visuals. It may feel slower at first, but it leads to deeper discussions, better decisions, and fewer misunderstandings, especially for complex or strategic topics. Saving Changes...
Program Manager| HARPER SRLSanto Domingo / Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic
Written narratives force deeper thinking, clearer logic, and make assumptions explicit in a way slides often don’t. They also level the room, everyone starts from the same context instead of reacting to whoever presents best. That said, it really works best when the culture values preparation and writing; otherwise, it can feel heavy. For me, the key takeaway is using the format that improves decision quality, instead of just the most convenient one. Saving Changes...
I went into a session at a professional development conference where the speaker, an Amazon employee, was presenting on this topic. I liked the idea; it sounded interesting. And then he started explaining the six-page narrative memo process.
What he didn't explain was when to use it and when NOT to use it. This approach was intended for executive-level decision-making meetings; new product launches, strategic reviews, large operational issues, capital investment decisions. One topic for the meeting. It doesn't scale for use in all meetings. I have to wonder, what's the difference between reading a six-page memo, prior to a meeting, and reading a PPTX slide deck containing the same information, prior to the meeting? I don't think PowerPoint was the problem Bezos was trying to solve.
Let's shift our focus back to project management and consider this process. If you work in an organization with multiple project managers who run multiple projects, with each project involving multiple meetings, you can see why considering the appropriate scope and scale for Bezos' approach is important. But, there are some principles that can and should be borrowed, that I brought up in a recent question I posted:
As an organizer, send out meeting information in advance
As an attendee, review the meeting information in advance and come prepared
I have no problem with the use of PowerPoint in project meetings, as long as:
The slides summarize the narrative
The presenter has put in adequate effort in developing the narrative and producing the data being presented, and presents it well
Narrative, or storytelling, is an important part of a project manager's job. Telling the right story, well, is as important as having the right, accurate data. We need to show up prepared, and while we do need to use influence to get our stakeholders and team members to also show up prepared, we also need to be aware of the reality of our relative situation(s). For example, I know that for many of my meetings, very few attendees will read more than 1/2 page in advance. For some meetings, that's acceptable. For others, I need to get creative and figure out how to get some people to be more engaged before I can expect more from them. Saving Changes...
Omar JabbarProject Management and Digital Transformation Consultant| OGreen IT Service Inc.Ontario, Canada
This is one of the largest companies, no doubt about it. However, the more I learn about it, the more I feel that employees are treated merely as numbers. They seem to have no voice in how things are run, which is unfortunate because some of these employees have significantly contributed to Amazon's success.
Whether through PowerPoint presentations, lists, online team discussions, or in-person meetings, achieving the desired outcome is crucial; otherwise, the methods used are merely ways to reach your goals. Saving Changes...
narrative approach forces clarity. A well written brief shows the real problem, context and options much better than slides. It also slows people down just enough to think. I see value in this method for decisions and reviews, as it reduces noise and keeps the focus on reasoning. The quality of discussion improves because everyone starts from the same understanding. Saving Changes...
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