I.T. Exec Out of Touch? 7 Signs - not only for IT executives, but CEOS, CIOS, VPS, etc.

I just ran across this article and boy does it make some real good points. Many times IT management has to rely on decision made by others in higher rank who hold the purse strings and time after time they are dealing with "fossils" who "just don't get it". I have heard the seven comments below from many who are afraid of accepting change and make little or no effort to keep abreast of the changing business world. One of the more commonly used fossil phrases I have heard is "I don't want to know anything about how things work, just fix it" and in today's world if that isn't one foot in the tech grave, I don't know what could come any closer...BD

How to tell if you—or your colleagues—have become fossilized.

We are all keenly aware that there are hundreds of I.T. consultants around the world ready to jump to our assistance. Of course, many of these experts can be out of touch with the latest developments in their respective fields, but they still try to dazzle you with their multicolored charts and models. This poses considerable risk, especially to I.T. professionals who are constantly on the lookout for new ideas and methods.
Below are seven ways to spot whether a CIO or other executive—or consultant—is out of touch:

Research is considered to be a waste of time. "We have been very successful and our experience speaks for itself." (love this one - usually these are the easiest fossils to recognize too..BD)
Lack of critical thinking. "That may work well within such and such an organization, but we are different." (have heard this one many times perhaps the most overdone fossil response..BD)
An inability to take constructive criticism and lack of respect for varied opinions. "We are the originators of this method/product/theory. Who are they/you to question us?"
Maintaining a positive image at all costs. "What would people think of us if this didn't work as expected?" (this is a big one and very visible fossil..BD)
Lack of effective practice. "We have been advised by the best minds in the business. We can skip the experimental phase." (oh yes, this is another good one and usually indicates a fear of changing or learning fossil...BD)
Blind faith in experts and top executives. "How can we go wrong? These people have worked with the top companies around the world for years." (one of my favorites, the fossil from the old school that doesn't want to do the research homework and relies on talk instead of facts for their evaluations...BD)
An aversion to introspection. "We don't need that fuzzy self-examination of feelings, thoughts and motives around here. We are practical people." (overconfident fossil that can't see the forest for the trees...BD)

So, it's quite apparent that occasionally we can all get out of touch. The best we can do is to use extreme caution as we go through cycles of theory development and theory modification or replacement. Hence, no matter what conceptual framework we come up with, we should be keenly aware that something else most likely will eventually replace or modify the older models.