Write to Really Understand—Why Narratives Trump Slide Decks

Too often, complex projects get shortchanged by brief slide decks—missing data, glossed-over assumptions, or ideas presented without real depth. It’s easy to hide ambiguity or weak reasoning behind slick graphics and snappy titles. Deep understanding requires wrestling with the hard details, and that's where writing shines.

When a proposal must be explained in a narrative—a multi-page, coherent document—the team is forced to clarify every assumption, back up claims with data, and expose weak spots for improvement. Instead of walking into a meeting cold, managers and team members sit down and read the document together in silence, giving full attention, not half-listening while checking emails. The discussion that follows is sharper: questions probe logic, not just style.

A team lead recently spent hours crafting a six-page doc on a potential product launch. As she wrote and revised, gaps in research surfaced, and several features fell away as unnecessary. When the doc was finally discussed, others noticed strengths and gaps that would have been lost in a few slides. The decision, whatever it ends up being, feels more thoroughly earned.

Behavioral research shows writing boosts both comprehension and creative problem-solving; narratives surface thinking traps hiding in slide bullet points. If your team’s meetings keep running in circles, try demanding full narratives. You’ll quickly spot—and fix—flimsy thinking.

Start your next big meeting or pitch by having the responsible team craft a six-page narrative instead of a slide deck, forcing themselves to explain every key detail in plain language. Schedule at least 20 minutes at the top of the meeting for everyone to read quietly, ensuring the whole group starts from the same page, literally. Then, dedicate the discussion to challenging or clarifying specific points in the doc, not rehashing bullets. It may feel slow at first, but you’ll notice after just a few meetings how much sharper your group becomes—thinking deeper, deciding faster, executing better.