From the Managerial Zoo- 6 - Obsolete Managers in Days of Internet of Things

Young technocrats may have to work with a number of different types of managers who seem redundant in these days of technology driven professionalism. This author tries, in this series,  to portray these  difficult  managers who do not fit in with the youngster's perspective of the digital manager. 

Rogue Elephant (RE)

Managers who have lost out in the organizational battle (say for example promotions) are the mirror image of a rogue elephant. They consider themselves as thrown out of the herd. They wallow in self pity, are desolate and lonely. They are depressed with disgusting feelings about office matters and people and are irrational in approach owing to what they feel is a trauma. 

They feel they have lost positions to upstarts and young professionals-'yuppies'. They attack the organization in a hundred ways. Some of these desperate managers tear or blitz through offices and could be termed as 'tornado managers.' In their eternal destructive wisdom, they run through the office as wreckers.  They trample on,  remorseless,  on others or on documents, but are pretentiously oblivious of this. They are often tranquillized by the organization through darts of sops. These quell temporarily. They may eventually leave the organizations, well aware that they are on to exit but prior to that they leave a trail of destruction. They are not so loyal to the organization. 

Keep out of his way. Keep your programme contents away from him or he could mess it up. In case he attempts to attack you, go around  in circles if you really must take him on. He takes quite a bit of time to turn around. Escape in the time frame of his moves! An exit is a good strategy so that some ranger could tranquillize him. 

White Elephant (WE)

Best described as public relations officers, these managers are ornamental pieces who are maintained by someone in the hierarchy. They are kept on for being polished  to the outside world but contribute very little internally. Organizations carry disguised unemployed with some guilt.  Some of them are influential. They sit through pompously without contribution. Yet they are in demand for ceremonial duties.

Keep them smiling! They love good food and give them that 



  (Excerpts from the author's manuscript on the IoT Manager. Copyright vests with  the author)