* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Tuesday, October 7, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Row K Entertainment Emerges as Major New Hollywood Buyer With Splashy TIFF Shopping Spree – TheWrap

    Row K Entertainment Emerges as Major New Hollywood Buyer With Splashy TIFF Shopping Spree – TheWrap

    Charlie Hunnam Reflects on Playing a Serial Killer in Monster: The Ed Gein Story – Yahoo

    Charlie Hunnam Reveals the Dark Challenges of Playing a Serial Killer in Monster: The Ed Gein Story

    “Reba” cast, then and now: See the stars 24 years later (and who’s reunited for another show) – Yahoo

    “Reba” cast, then and now: See the stars 24 years later (and who’s reunited for another show) – Yahoo

    Why Taylor Swift Name-Dropped Elizabeth Taylor in Her New Album – Yahoo

    Here’s Why Taylor Swift Dropped Elizabeth Taylor’s Name in Her New Album

    Al Roker Gives Olivia Dean an Unexpected ‘New Job’ on the ‘Today’ Show – Yahoo

    Al Roker Shocks Olivia Dean with an Exciting New Role on the ‘Today’ Show

    Books about the arts and some haunts for a Denton October – Denton Record-Chronicle

    Uncover Artistic Treasures and Spooky Adventures to Experience in Denton This October

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Is Light-Speed Analog Computing the Future of Technology? – BIOENGINEER.ORG

    Could Light-Speed Analog Computing Transform the Future of Technology?

    ARM Institute opens technology project call to speed submarine manufacturing – The Robot Report

    ARM Institute Unveils Cutting-Edge Technology Project to Revolutionize Submarine Manufacturing

    Forget Cowbells. Cows Wear High-Tech Collars Now. – The New York Times

    Ditch the Cowbells: Discover the High-Tech Collars Transforming Cattle Care

    What the Recent Price Surge Means for Figure Technology Solutions After SEC Settlement – Yahoo Finance

    What the Recent Price Surge Reveals About Figure Technology Solutions Following SEC Settlement

    MAC Brings iPad Technology to Football Sidelines Across All 13 Member Schools – Sports Video Group

    MAC Brings iPad Technology to Football Sidelines Across All 13 Member Schools – Sports Video Group

    Technology Is Becoming More Important Than Humans In CX – No Jitter

    Technology Is Becoming More Important Than Humans In CX – No Jitter

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Row K Entertainment Emerges as Major New Hollywood Buyer With Splashy TIFF Shopping Spree – TheWrap

    Row K Entertainment Emerges as Major New Hollywood Buyer With Splashy TIFF Shopping Spree – TheWrap

    Charlie Hunnam Reflects on Playing a Serial Killer in Monster: The Ed Gein Story – Yahoo

    Charlie Hunnam Reveals the Dark Challenges of Playing a Serial Killer in Monster: The Ed Gein Story

    “Reba” cast, then and now: See the stars 24 years later (and who’s reunited for another show) – Yahoo

    “Reba” cast, then and now: See the stars 24 years later (and who’s reunited for another show) – Yahoo

    Why Taylor Swift Name-Dropped Elizabeth Taylor in Her New Album – Yahoo

    Here’s Why Taylor Swift Dropped Elizabeth Taylor’s Name in Her New Album

    Al Roker Gives Olivia Dean an Unexpected ‘New Job’ on the ‘Today’ Show – Yahoo

    Al Roker Shocks Olivia Dean with an Exciting New Role on the ‘Today’ Show

    Books about the arts and some haunts for a Denton October – Denton Record-Chronicle

    Uncover Artistic Treasures and Spooky Adventures to Experience in Denton This October

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Is Light-Speed Analog Computing the Future of Technology? – BIOENGINEER.ORG

    Could Light-Speed Analog Computing Transform the Future of Technology?

    ARM Institute opens technology project call to speed submarine manufacturing – The Robot Report

    ARM Institute Unveils Cutting-Edge Technology Project to Revolutionize Submarine Manufacturing

    Forget Cowbells. Cows Wear High-Tech Collars Now. – The New York Times

    Ditch the Cowbells: Discover the High-Tech Collars Transforming Cattle Care

    What the Recent Price Surge Means for Figure Technology Solutions After SEC Settlement – Yahoo Finance

    What the Recent Price Surge Reveals About Figure Technology Solutions Following SEC Settlement

    MAC Brings iPad Technology to Football Sidelines Across All 13 Member Schools – Sports Video Group

    MAC Brings iPad Technology to Football Sidelines Across All 13 Member Schools – Sports Video Group

    Technology Is Becoming More Important Than Humans In CX – No Jitter

    Technology Is Becoming More Important Than Humans In CX – No Jitter

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Business

6 business execs you’ll meet in hell — and how to deal with them

July 11, 2023
in Business
6 business execs you’ll meet in hell — and how to deal with them
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Leading IT is challenging enough without bad bosses and misguided business colleagues making a CIO’s work even harder.

Everyone, at some point in their career, has endured a bad boss or bad business colleague. Someone further up the chain or a lateral colleague who lacks basic interpersonal skills, demands the impossible, flies off the handle at the slightest provocation, or throws you under the bus the moment a project goes south.

Aside from causing personal angst, executives run amok can also wreak lasting damage to the organizations they work for by driving away talent and squandering business opportunities.

It’s become a truism that people don’t leave bad jobs, they leave bad managers and challenging cultures. According to a recent survey by FlexJobs, a toxic company culture (62%) and poor management (56%) were among the top three reasons given by people who had recently quit. Conversely, companies that hire good managers generate 27% higher revenue per employee.

For technology leaders, difficult executives take a variety of forms. There are the technophobes who don’t want to make any effort to understand technology, they just want it to work. There are executives who ask for the impossible (often because they don’t understand tech). Some are obsessed with the newest, shiniest toy, regardless of whether adopting it makes sense for their business. Some steer clear of anything that smacks of interpersonal conflict, allowing small problems to fester into bigger ones. Many CEOs in particular expect the IT department to provide white-glove support for them and their family.

And some bosses or business colleagues are borderline sociopaths.

How do you deal with these people? We asked experienced CIOs and other tech leaders about the poor leaders they’ve encountered over the years, and how they dealt with them. Not surprisingly, most were reluctant to get too specific, because many of these troublesome executives are still around. In some cases, we’ve had to change names and obscure details to protect the guilty.

The following list is by no means exhaustive. But we’re confident you’ve encountered at least one of these archetypes in your career.

The Impossible Dreamer

Some executives ask for the moon, and expect IT to deliver it. Bringing their expectations down to earth can be a delicate mission.

Roughly a decade ago, Mark Campbell was working as an advisor to the head data scientist of a large communications company. One day the CIO came in, having just stepped off a plane, and declared, “I just read a story about quantum computers; we need to get a bunch of them.”

The man came to Campbell in despair. How the heck was he going to stand up a “bunch” of quantum computers? At the time, a basic 16-qubit quantum computer cost around $30 million, not including the liquid-nitrogen-cooled, seismically isolated, Faraday-caged data center required to house it. The data scientist was on the verge of resigning until Campbell came up with an alternative solution: a company that offered quantum computing as a service.

“So he showed this to his boss and said, ‘We now have access to dozens of quantum computers; what do you want to do with them?’” says Campbell, who is now chief innovation officer for EvotekLabs, a strategic advisory firm. “Because the CIO had no idea what to do with them, and they only had to pay for usage, the project cost the company exactly $0.”

The moral to this story: When bosses ask for the moon, show them what it’s really going to cost to get up there, and see how eager they are.

The Sucker

Fascination with shiny objects, coupled with technical naivete and a fondness for being wined and dined, can be a dangerous combination in a boss or a colleague.

“The most difficult executives are those who believe that shiny new technology objects are a one-size-fits everyone/everywhere/everything solution that will assuage every woe and make them millions at the same time,” says Joanne Friedman, PhD, CEO of Connektedminds, an IT advisory group based in Ontario, Canada.

When she was head of IT at a global outsource manufacturing company, Friedman was asked by an executive to spend as much as $25 million on a tech solution she knew would not fly. The EVP, who was getting a full-court sales press from the vendor, was insistent. After six months of haranguing, Friedman made a deal with him: She would run a proof of concept using the technology. If she was wrong and the solution worked as he believed it would, she would resign. If she was right, the executive would resign.

“I can smell vaporware coming a mile away,” she says. “This vendor had great marketing but crap engineering. We ran the POC and it blew up in their faces — it crashed the sandbox infrastructure, it did all sorts of bizarre stuff because the code had been written like 15 minutes before we started. So I turned to the sales rep and said, ‘That’s what wining and dining the wrong human being will get you.’”

The company ended up going with an alternate product that performed the same tasks much better, for much less. The executive in question did not resign, but he was forced to publicly apologize. He was later fired for other reasons.

“The moral of this story is that vendors sell sizzle, CIOs buy substance,” says Friedman. “Business and IT should be equally trusted partners. But when push comes to shove, to thine own self be true.”

The Technophobe

Some executives have exactly zero aptitude when it comes to the technology that enables them to run their businesses. And you probably shouldn’t expect them to, says Bob Stevens (not his real name), former CISO for a large retail operation. After all, they’re not being paid to think about technology; they’re being paid to sell products.

“The CEO at that retail company was not a technologist,” says Stevens. “He found it totally uninteresting. So when the IT and security teams would present, his attention would quickly wane and he would start answering texts and reading email. He’d say, ‘Unfortunately, technology means nothing to me. I get that it is important to the company and that we have to have it. So I will manage the business value against the cost. Just don’t try to make me understand it.’”

It can be demoralizing, Stevens adds. Worse, because senior leadership doesn’t fully understand the issues in play or the threats to the business, they may not prioritize investments appropriately. And when you try to persuade them that it’s important they pay more attention, they often get defensive, since you are not playing to their strengths.

“You need to realize it’s not an indictment of you or your team, but a vote of confidence,” says Stevens. “The CEO has empowered you to provide options that balance the needs of the company against business risks.”

This is not an uncommon scenario, notes Deb Gildersleeve, CIO at First, a global brand experience agency.

“There are definitely leaders who still believe that everything about the tech is the CIO’s responsibility, with no ownership in the department using the tech,” she says. “You end up spending a lot of time educating them about why they need to take more ownership, over and over in different ways.”

Sometimes executives need to experience the consequences of not paying enough attention to the right things, or see the impact of that on a competitor. And sometimes you have to bypass the decision makers and enlist the support of people who actually work with the technology, says Gildersleeve.

“That’s probably been the most effective way for me,” she adds. “There are usually people in the organization who get it and want ownership of these things. They want their lives to be made easier, so they’re willing to put in the effort. It’s my job to back them up when their manager asks, ‘Why are you working on that?’”

The Excessively Entitled

In addition to managing a company’s IT infrastructure and driving innovation initiatives, many tech leaders are also asked to tend to their boss’s personal IT needs — and sometimes, those of their family.

Many CEOs expect concierge-level tech support, and most of the time they get it, says Len Tateyama, director of IT for Alvaka Networks, a managed services IT provider.

“For many executives, there’s no real boundary between work life and personal life,” he says. “They’re working 24-7. So it’s reasonable to expect you to support the machines they use for work at home. The difference is when they start asking you for help with family stuff.”

The key, adds Tateyama, is establishing boundaries between support calls that serve a business purpose, and those that are purely personal. At three different companies in his career, he has set up systems where requests beyond the scope of the job were handled outside his IT budget.

“I would ask my teams, ‘Who wants to make a little money on the side?’ and then connect my highest performers with the CEO’s personal assistant to work out the payment details,” he says. “We were able to still provide that white-glove treatment, while also putting limits around it. You never just say no to the boss. But you can say, ‘Yes, and here it is what it will cost you,’ and then maybe they will decide to take a different route.”

(Tateyama adds that occasionally executives further down the chain asked for similar treatment. They didn’t get it.)

But going the extra mile and establishing a closer connection to the C-suite can be good for one’s career, notes Dion Hinchcliffe, VP and principal analyst at Constellation Research.

“Junior IT people can become trusted associates of C-suite leaders, and both sides learn and benefit,” he notes. “Thirty-five years ago, my super IT bedside manner landed me the job of supporting the whole C-suite of a Fortune 1000 company. I fixed problems on their business and personal devices, and even babysat their kids when they brought them to the office. I learned the business from their POV, and it fast-tracked my career in IT.”

The Conflict Avoider

When business leaders never want to hear bad news, small problems become big ones, and big problems can derail or even destroy an organization.

“Honestly, the most difficult executives to deal with are the conflict-avoidant ones,” says Jonathan Feldman, CIO for Wake County, N.C. “I can solve a problem if we can have a constructive conflict, but I can do nothing if we don’t even know about it.”

One common difficulty is executives who see no difference between constructive conflict and destructive conflict, or who take well-meaning criticism personally, Feldman adds.

“When people don’t conflict, they end up doing workarounds that are incredibly frustrating, like wasting money on projects that then have to be redone, or forcing people to work late nights and weekends because no one was brave enough to say, ‘This plan is crap,’” he adds. “It gets in the way of making things better.”

Constructive conflicts are always about problems, not personalities, Feldman says. Everyone should get the chance to tell their story about what happened without worrying about getting their heads chopped off.

“Anyone who kills the bearer of bad news quickly joins the ranks of the uniformed,” he adds. “Bad stuff gets buried much deeper, because as a leader you’ve taught people through your behavior that making a unique mistake is not OK. In this scenario, executives whose only source of input is their direct reports are likely to hear roses and sunshine at all times, and it prevents them from taking corrective action when needed.”

The Screamer

Then there are the executives desperately in need of anger management training. Campbell once worked at a well-known global company for an executive, we’ll call him Darryl, notorious for blowing up and screaming at people.

“Calling him ‘abrasive’ would be like calling a great white shark ‘a nibbler,’” says Campbell. “We’re talking spittle forming at the corners of his mouth and veins throbbing in his forehead, just because you used ‘they’ too many times in a sentence.”

When he joined the program, Campbell was the newest member on a team of 24. Then one of the data centers crashed, and Darryl started chopping off heads. Before the year was out, Campbell was the senior staffer. Everyone else had been fired, transferred, or quit.

“The reason I survived wasn’t my business acumen,” adds Campbell. “I’d only been there a few weeks when the data center crashed, and nobody knew who the hell I was. If they had, I’m sure I’d have been fired, too.”

Because he had managed to survive, the company asked Campbell to put together a training program (called Darryl University) that everyone on the team had to go through before they were allowed to talk to Darryl — words that triggered him, topics to avoid, how to phrase bad news, and so on.

“So many hours wasted, so many talented people, so many antacids,” adds Campbell.

There are always two sides to every relationship, adds Feldman. If you don’t like your boss, odds are your boss doesn’t like you. And if you can’t manage to repair your relationship (or if your boss is a sociopath) your only viable option may be the door.

“You’ve got to take care of yourself first,” he says. “That means there are times you’re going to have to go.”

Fortunately, Screamers (like Dreamers, Suckers, and Conflict Avoiders) tend to be the exception, not the rule, says Campbell.

“There’s a ton of bad executives out there. But the ethical, brilliant, hardworking, and moral ones are far and away the most successful.”

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : CIO – https://www.cio.com/article/482209/6-business-execs-youll-meet-in-hell-and-how-to-deal-with-them.html

Tags: businessExecs
Previous Post

‘I went on 10 dates with a guy but he ghosted me after we got intimate

Next Post

With greater personalisation comes greater security

Learned use of an innate sound-meaning association in birds – Nature

How Birds Unlock Natural Sound-Meaning Links Through Learning

October 7, 2025
This Ancient Statue Was Discarded by Raiders. Scientists Think It’s a Rare Treasure. – Popular Mechanics

Forgotten by Raiders, This Ancient Statue Could Be a Priceless Treasure

October 7, 2025
Scientists used AI to map uncharted areas of the mouse brain – Live Science

Scientists Harness AI to Uncover Hidden Regions of the Mouse Brain

October 7, 2025
Pets of the Day: Sweep the clouds away with Zoe, Telly and Elmo – Yahoo

Meet Zoe, Telly, and Elmo: Your Daily Dose of Sunshine and Smiles

October 7, 2025
Is Light-Speed Analog Computing the Future of Technology? – BIOENGINEER.ORG

Could Light-Speed Analog Computing Transform the Future of Technology?

October 7, 2025
Frustrations grow around Bill Belichick and North Carolina after team’s porous start to the 2025 season – Yahoo Sports

Frustrations grow around Bill Belichick and North Carolina after team’s porous start to the 2025 season – Yahoo Sports

October 7, 2025
Jason Anderson Signs for Suzuki for 2026 SMX World Championship – Monster Energy AMA Supercross

Jason Anderson Signs for Suzuki for 2026 SMX World Championship – Monster Energy AMA Supercross

October 7, 2025
Downtown St. Paul’s economy showing new life after state employees mandated to return to office – 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS

Downtown St. Paul Thrives Again as State Employees Return to the Office

October 7, 2025
No, Anthony Boyle Didn’t Use a Prosthetic in His House of Guinness Bath Scene – Yahoo

Anthony Boyle Opens Up About the Shocking Truth Behind His House of Gucci Bath Scene

October 7, 2025
Ozzy Osbourne documentary reveals agonizing health struggles of his final years – USA Today

Inside Ozzy Osbourne’s Heartbreaking Battle with Health in His Final Years

October 7, 2025

Categories

Archives

October 2025
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Sep    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (856)
  • Economy (876)
  • Entertainment (21,749)
  • General (17,463)
  • Health (9,918)
  • Lifestyle (889)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (878)
  • Politics (887)
  • Science (16,087)
  • Sports (21,377)
  • Technology (15,857)
  • World (859)

Recent News

Learned use of an innate sound-meaning association in birds – Nature

How Birds Unlock Natural Sound-Meaning Links Through Learning

October 7, 2025
This Ancient Statue Was Discarded by Raiders. Scientists Think It’s a Rare Treasure. – Popular Mechanics

Forgotten by Raiders, This Ancient Statue Could Be a Priceless Treasure

October 7, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version