"Outdated Management" is Destroying Companies

"Outdated Management" is Destroying Companies

Flaunting seniority, being self-righteous, stubborn, and refusing to accept new things.

In recent years, the term "old stubborn" has become popular.

Originally, it described narcissistic, stubborn, preachy middle-aged people who like to meddle in others' lives.

It's useless to talk to such people; they always stand on moral high ground, using past experiences to comment on everything today.

But I increasingly find that "old stubborn" types also exist in management work.

They are self-righteous, stubborn, flaunt seniority, refuse to accept new things, treat seniority as authority and experience as truth, full of "outdated" characteristics.

Over time, organizations become rigid, talent leaves, and companies slowly decline.

01

Typical Manifestations of "Outdated Management"

Let's first look at what outdated management actually looks like; we can all check if our companies have such people.

1. Arrogance

The most typical characteristic of outdated management is arrogance.

This arrogance may come from past success that made them narcissistic; they habitually center themselves, treat personal experience as absolute truth, and become the "only correct answer."

Thus, in their eyes, market feedback is unimportant, frontline voices are unheard, and young people's judgments are considered immature.

The only type of employee they like is obedient employees, flattering employees.

As a result, a thick information bubble forms around them; they only hear what they want to hear, and their judgment and decision-making abilities are unconsciously weakened.

In the end, they neither lead teams well nor achieve results, causing great harm to the company.

2. Irrelevance

Outdated management is particularly fond of one phrase: "This is how I succeeded back then."

They ignore change.

Although the business environment, user mindset, and organizational structure have undergone drastic changes, they still mechanically apply success formulas from ten or even twenty years ago.

For example, in their view, management should be strict, young people should endure hardship, overtime shows responsibility, and control is the core of management, etc.

These once-effective experiences, once detached from their historical context, become heavy burdens, dragging down the company's progress in every daily detail.

3. Resistance to Change

Another typical characteristic of outdated management is resistance to change.

Often, they verbally say "we need innovation" or "we need transformation"; but when it's time to actually change structures or redistribute power, they immediately retreat.

Because change means breaking the existing order and old authority; it means the old "I have the final say" model may no longer work.

They fear losing status, being replaced, so they instinctively resist innovation; any new ideas, new models, or even new people are questioned, denied, and suppressed.

They justify this as "being prudent," but it's actually clinging to outdated ways.

This outdated management appears stable on the surface but is actually pushing the organization toward rigidity.

4. Form Over Substance

Finally, outdated management is particularly good at formalism.

They immediately implement various reports, processes, meetings, and PPTs, appearing busy but creating no real value.

The organization seems to run smoothly, but it's all busywork; everyone is reporting upward, with no one truly doing work or taking responsibility. Work becomes an internal performance.

These are the four characteristics of outdated management; their harm to companies is enormous.

02

How to Get Rid of "Outdated Management"?

Since outdated management has so many problems, how can we change it?

Here are three suggestions for your reference.

1. Empty Cup Mindset, Stay Open

Truly excellent managers, the higher they rise, the clearer they understand one thing:

What they know is always partial; their past successful experiences may already be obsolete.

Therefore, they deliberately maintain an "empty cup mindset."

Empty cup doesn't mean否定 the past, but rather not using the past as a protective shield.

They don't assume "I must be right," nor do they use seniority to pressure others or use experience to silence debate; instead, they continuously listen, learn, and calibrate their judgment.

You'll find that the more excellent the manager, the more willing they are to listen to frontline voices.

They genuinely care about market changes, shifting customer needs, frontline execution bottlenecks, etc.

Because they clearly understand that the most authentic information is never in the conference room, but on the frontline.

When you're willing to listen to frontline voices, willing to learn from younger people, willing to admit the world has changed, you can start anew; your original successful experiences become effective rather than obstacles.

2. More Substance, Less Empty Promises

Outdated managers particularly love grand pronouncements: "Endure hardship now, and it'll be better later." "If the company does well, you'll do well." "Young people need vision."

These statements aren't entirely wrong in themselves, but the problem is, if these are the only things said long-term, without accompanying tangible benefits and growth mechanisms, they become empty promises.

Too many empty promises not only fail to motivate but actually make people increasingly disillusioned.

Truly effective management never relies on grand pronouncements, but rather on being willing to share benefits and genuinely develop people.

Money owed should be paid according to rules; opportunities should have clear standards and be transparent.

Employees don't stay purely for dreams, nor do they stay out of感动; they stay because of tangible, visible returns.

When they see the relationship between effort and reward, when they see hope, they naturally commit; if they only hear slogans but see no兑现, they'll eventually vote with their feet.

3. Trust the Frontline, Dare to Delegate

Outdated managers, because they enjoy the taste of power, are reluctant to delegate; major decisions are层层 centralized, resources牢牢 held in their own hands. The frontline only has execution authority but must bear responsibility for results.

But you can't do this; you must dare to trust the frontline, dare to delegate authority, and倾斜 resources to those who truly hear the gunfire.

In fact, trust and delegation are a more advanced efficiency design.

When decisions are close enough to the market, information won't be filtered,美化, or delayed during上传. When responsibility matches authority, the frontline shifts from "waiting for instructions" to "actively taking ownership."

Truly mature managers don't prove their worth by tightly clutching power.

Once you're willing to step back and give the stage to the frontline, the organization shifts from "revolving around leadership" to "revolving around results," from internal conflict to external competition.

This is the关键一刀 to break "outdated management," and the starting point for an organization to move from rigidity to vitality.

In summary, many companies suffer from outdated management: self-righteous, stubborn, flaunting seniority, refusing to accept new things. This management style is dragging companies down. To摆脱 outdated management, you must have an empty cup mindset and stay open; have more substance and fewer empty promises; trust the frontline and dare to delegate.

This article comes from the WeChat public account "Zhang Lijun," author: Zhang Lijun, published by 36Kr with authorization.

“登味管理”，正在搞垮企业

摆老资格，自以为是，固执己见，拒绝接受新事物。

这两年，“老登”这个词火了。

原本，它形容的是那种自恋、固执、爱说教、喜欢对别人的生活指手画脚的中年人。

这样的人，你跟他说什么都没用，他永远站在道德高地，拿着过去的经验，对现在的一切评头论足。

但我越来越发现，管理工作中，也存在着老登。

他们自以为是，固执己见，倚老卖老，拒绝接受新事物，把资历当权威，把经验当真理，“登味”十足。

久而久之，组织开始僵化，人才开始流失，企业慢慢被拖垮。

01

“登味管理”的几个典型表现

我们先来看看，登味管理到底长啥样，我们每个人都可以对号入座，看看自己的公司有没有这样的人。

1.傲慢

登味管理，最典型的特征就是傲慢。

这种傲慢，可能是过去的成功给他带来的自恋，他习惯以自我为中心，把个人经验当成绝对真理，把自己活成了“**正确答案”。

于是，在他们眼里，市场反馈不重要，一线声音听不到，年轻人的判断被认为不成熟。

他**喜欢的员工只有一种，那就是听话的员工、溜须拍马的员工。

结果，在他的身边就形成了一层厚厚的信息茧房，他只能听到自己想听的声音，他的判断力和决策力，就在不知不觉中被削弱。

到头来，他既带不好队伍，也拿不到业绩，给公司带来了巨大的伤害。

2.不合时宜

登味管理，还特别迷恋一句话：“我当年就是这么干成的。”

他无视变化。

尽管商业环境、用户心智、组织形态，都已经发生了剧烈改变，但他依然机械地套用十年前、甚至二十年前的成功范式。

比如，在他眼里，管理就该严，年轻人就该吃苦，加班才是责任感，控制才是管理的核心，等等。

这些曾经可能奏效的经验，一旦脱离时代背景，就会变成沉重的包袱，在每一个日常细节里，拽住企业前行的脚步。

3.拒绝变化

登味管理，还有一个很典型的特征，就是拒绝变化。

很多时候，他嘴上说“要创新”“要变革”。但一旦真的要动架构、动权力的时候，他立刻退缩。

因为变化意味着打破既有秩序，打破旧权威，意味着过去那套“我说了算”的模式，可能不再奏效。

他害怕地位不保、自己被取代，所以就开始本能地抵触创新，任何新的想法、新的模式、甚至新人，都会被质疑、否定、打压。

他还美其名曰“稳健”，实则是抱残守缺。

这种登味管理，表面看似稳定，实则正在让组织走向僵化。

4.形式大于实质

最后说一点，登味管理，还特别擅长搞形式主义。

他一上来，就大搞各种汇报、流程、会议、PPT，忙得热火朝天，却不创造任何价值。

看起来组织运转得井井有条，其实全在做无用功，所有人都在向上汇报，没有一个人在真做事、真负责。工作，变成了一场内部表演。

以上，就是登味管理的4个特征，它对企业的伤害是巨大的。

02

如何摆脱“登味管理”？

既然登味管理有这么多问题，那么如何改变？

以下3点，供你参考。

1.空杯心态，保持开放

真正优秀的管理者，越往上走，越清楚一件事：

自己懂得的，永远只是局部；自己曾经成功过的经验，很可能已经过时。

所以，他们会刻意保持一种“空杯心态”。

所谓空杯，不是否定过去，而是不把过去当成护身符。

他不会默认“我一定是对的”，更不会用资历压人、用经验封口，而是持续地去倾听、学习、校准自己的判断。

你会发现，越是优秀的管理者，反而越愿意听一线的声音。

他会发自内心地去关心市场在发生什么变化，客户的需求哪里变了，一线执行有什么卡点，等等。

因为他们很清楚，最真实的信息，永远不在会议室，而在一线。

当你愿意听一线的声音，愿意向年轻人学习，愿意承认世界已经不一样了，你就能够重新出发，你原有的成功经验才是有效的，而不是成为阻碍。

2.多点实际，少点画饼

登味管理者，特别爱讲大道理：“现在苦一点，将来就好了。”“公司好，你们才会好。”“年轻人要有格局。”

这些话本身未必全是错的，但问题在于，如果长期只有这几句话，没有配套的现实利益和成长机制，它就成了画大饼。

饼画得多了，不但不能激励人，反而会让人心里越来越冷。

真正有效的管理，从来不是靠讲大道理，而是舍得给利益，认真培养人。

该给的钱，你就按规则给到位；该给的机会，你要明确标准、公开透明。

员工是不会纯靠梦想留下的，更不会靠感动而留下，而是靠看得见、摸得着的回报留下的。

你让他看见付出和回报之间的关系，让他看到希望，他自然会投入；你只让他听见口号，却看不见兑现，那他迟早会用脚投票。

3.信任一线，敢于放权

登味管理者，因为享受权力的滋味，所以他是舍不得放权的，重大决策层层上收，资源牢牢握在自己手里。一线只剩下执行权，却要为结果背锅。

但你不能这样，你要敢于信任一线，敢于把权力下放，把资源向那些真正听得见炮火的人倾斜。

事实上，信任和放权，是一种更高级的效率设计。

当决策离市场足够近，信息才不会在上传的过程中被过滤、被美化、被延迟。当责任与权力对等，一线才会从“等指示”，变成“主动扛事”。

真正成熟的管理者，是不会靠死死抓住那点权力来证明存在感的。

一旦你愿意退后一步，把舞台交给一线，组织就会从“围着领导转”，变成“围着结果转”，从内耗争斗，转向对外竞争。

这，才是破除“登味管理”的关键一刀，也是一个组织，从僵化走向活力的起点。

最后总结一下，很多企业都存在登味管理，他们自以为是，固执己见，倚老卖老，拒绝接受新事物，这样的管理方式，正在拖垮企业。而想要摆脱登味管理，必须要有空杯心态，保持开放；要多点实际，少点画饼；要信任一线，敢于放权。

本文来自微信公众号“张丽俊”，作者：张丽俊，36氪经授权发布。