Throwing the Elephant: Zen and the Art of Managing Up – A Wickedly Funny Survival Guide for Stressed Employees and Difficult Bosses

by Stanley Bing

Sit down. Breathe deep. This is the last business book you will ever need. For in these pages, Stanley Bing solves the ultimate problem of your working life: How to manage the boss.

The technique is simple . . . as simple as throwing an elephant. All it takes is the proper state of mind, a step-by-step plan, and a great leap of faith. This humble guide provides all these and more. It is Zen that enables one to take an object of enormous weight and size and mold it in one's grasp like a ball of Silly Putty. For senior management, in truth, is the silliest putty of them all.

This comprehensive course walks budding business bodhisattvas through basic skills needed to provide the simple elephant handling that makes everyday life possible, including but not limited to the primary task of following along after the elephant with a little broom and dustpan. Serious students will then move to intermediate steps, from Polishing the Elephant's Tusks to Hiding from the Elephant When It Has Been Drinking and Feels Quite Nasty. Beyond this level lies the land of the practiced Zen masters, culminating in the ability to leverage and then throw the now-weightless elephant--and even play catch with it at corporate retreats.

If What Would Machiavelli Would Do? was the meanest business book since the Renaissance, Throwing the Elephant provides the yang to that yin. Because sometimes you've got to be selfless, compassionate, and completely empty to get the job done.

Stanley Bing is a columnist for Fortune magazine and the author of What Would Machiavelli Do? and Lloyd: What Happened, a novel. By day, he works for a gigantic multinational conglomerate whose identity is one of the worst-kept secrets in business.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Leadership, Humor, Management, Philosophy, Self Help

240 pages, Paperback

First published February 28, 2002

About the author

Gil Schwartz, known by his pen name Stanley Bing, was an American business humorist and novelist. He wrote a column for Fortune magazine for more than twenty years after a decade at Esquire magazine. He was the author of thirteen books, including What Would Machiavelli Do? and The Curriculum, a satirical textbook for a business school that also offers lessons on the web. Schwartz was senior executive vice president of corporate communications and Chief Communications Officer for CBS.

Reviews

[Chrisman · Rating 1 out of 5]

10 year edit, 2017

Hey younger self! What'd this book do, insult your mother? Tone it down, man.

Original review, 2007

This book was rubbish and a waste of my time. The author was neither entertaining nor informative: he wrote nothing clever or insightful. I would recommend only to people I strongly dislike.

[Rob · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've considered this book on two levels, and it's bad on both of them. Initially this book was recommended to me as a handbook for managing one's managers, at a time when I was dissatisfied with my boss. (Thankfully, I've changed jobs since then.) It doesn't seem to be that, containing virtually no actionable advice. So I recalibrated my expectations.

It seems to be meant as business humor. Unfortunately, the author is not very funny. Decent jokes are few and far between, and mostly the reader wades through smarmy little wisecracks about expense accounts and the like. It's bland pap by an author with nothing to say for middle managers to feel smug about themselves.

I'm not sure how the author has had several books published. Don't waste your time.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first time I read this book, it didn't make any sense to me. I had always worked IT at universities, and while there are some threads in this book that apply there, much of it didn't.

Than I got my first corporate job.

Suddenly this book became my lifeline. I moaned and struggled daily with this new environment that seemed to make no sense. Through this book, I learned how not to struggle, how to sit and wait, and how to regain my sanity in this new world. Without this business Zen, I surely would have snatched every hair out of my head in my fits. I have a new clarity and calm at work thanks to this book.

[Suji · Rating 1 out of 5]

This whole book is suppose to be a funny metaphor about how your boss is an elephant(takes up large amount of energy, if not pleased could be dangerous towards your health,...). The advice given by the author on how to deal with your annoying boss is this...
1) Kiss up to your boss
a) Always offer entertainment, praise, and food
2) Be the person in the shadows
b) Don't be noticeable because than you will be on their mind when they have to fire someone
c) Don't give your opinions on anything work related, otherwise agree with them 100%
3) "Your goal is to reach the point where, no matter what happens in any given day, you just don't give a shit" (p.15).

Basically don't speak but when you do speak may it be only for the good of your boss. Otherwise don't care about what you do, because life doesn't care about you.

Overall it is meant to be funny but it is not. Sad part is that the advice holds up if you want to be a hypocritical person who climbs up the work ladder.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an amazing book that applies the philosophy of zen to the art of "managing up", that is, handling a boss executive. Mostly, it treats the executive as an uncaring, inhumane beast and to feed its wants and needs in order to gain leverage. The book's only weakness is that it relies too much on its elephant metaphor, and sometimes it is very unclear on what the author is trying to communicate. After all, we are not literally feeling or moving a real elephant. This is about management. Nonetheless, for anyone who has to deal with executives or high-level managers with delusions of power, I would highly recommend reading this.

[Dave Wheatley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that you sell more books when you add the word "Zen" to the title. I picked this book up at the airport during one of the worst work periods of my professional life. It's a comedic look on what to do (in a "Zen" way, apologies to true Zen Buddhists) when you work for a stupid asshole corporate pig (the big bumbling elephant). I worked in an entire org chart of stupid asshole corporate pigs back then, and would turn to this book during break time to give me a needed laugh. I recommend it if you work in such an environment.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is perfect for anyone who works for and does not want to climb to the top of a corporation or bureacracy, yet needs techniques to survive the egos of those above him/him. The blustering quotes of American corporate leaders are priceless, and you will learn to subtley handle, yay, even master, elephants like these:

Ex-Emerson CEO Charles F. Knight to a top executive who asked him which projects he should tackle first. In a rage, Knight tore the list into two pieces and handed it back. "Do the top half!"

Added bonus: greed and lack of foresight of Bill Gates fully exposed.

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's okay, nothing special and nothing really that useful except remove emotion and don't have expectations which depending on your work environment these are wise ideas.
The story just tries to be to clever and witty for its own good. A bit outdated, definitely from an 80's and early 90's world.

[Mark Cichonski]

As usual, Bing is tongue firmly in cheek, but there are a few nuggets in here. There is one part about communicating with your boss/elephant. Keep him overfed and well fed throughout the day. We call it cocktails and appetizers. There are many other interesting tidbits in here.One of the other things I love is the quotes. My favorite quote is "Scared money never wins-Anonymous". There are other important chapters, getting drunk with the elephant (no good things ever come from drinking with the boss), golfing with the elephant (I personally think there could be a whole book on this, do I let him win, hmm...) I also love the 4 phase approach: personal preparation, basic:handling the elephant, intermediate, managing the elephant, advanced, throwing the elephant. Of course the real lesson/point of the book for us all is, are we being an elephant? I wonder what my staff and partners would say?

[Gayle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. I "get" the purpose of being Zen and I appreciated that the author successfully married the concept of business with Zen - unfortunately in a very confusing way. Most of the time I was reading, I kept having to translate in my mind what was being suggested or discussed. The phrase "boss" is never used, always "elephant", and all the traits of an elephant replace those common ones found in the work place. I sort of wish the "throwing the elephant" had been left as the title and that the author had spent more time making real observations and suggestions about how to deal with difficult people. Too much symbolism, and when real ideas were presented they were expressed in short statements followed by a brand new topic. I found this gimmicky, and not very helpful in a real world setting. Guess it's time to write my own "how to manage" book!

[Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is not easy to successfully maintain a gimmick through 200 pages. But Stanley Bing does it. Despite moments when his Buddha-speak becomes grating, overall Throwing the Elephant is cleverly written and provides some interesting perspectives to entertain the brain while you eat lunch hunched over your keyboard.

I wrote a longer review of the book on my blog: http://cranialgunk.com/blog/2009/09/1...

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a rather dark philosophical approach to interacting with high maintenance bosses. I do not subscribe to everything the author espouses, however much of it aligned with the behavior of many high maintenance bosses for whom I have worked. Overall, the book aims to help you frame your concerns in a context that would motivate your boss to action, although it also means setting aside some battles for later.

[Keith Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read that applies zen philosophies playfully to modern day managing up. Some good humor about letting go of control, focusing on the other, and seeking to understand before being understood woven into real life business moguls follies and successes. A fun but not deep read, with a good core lesson.

[Sarah Siggelakis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite business book of mine. This is a quicker read and completely hilarious. I take myself and my work way too seriously most of the time and I like coming back to this one and reminding myself to be present, to let go of my ego, and to remember that things which feel like a crisis today might not feel so important when we look back on the events years from now

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't have a lot of experience with Zen, so I'm not sure how much of that was tongue-in-cheek and how much was an accurate depiction....however, the viewpoint on dealing with bosses and executives was extremely helpful and more practical than you'd think from the title.

[Jalah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and relished reading a little bit every day. The dark humor coupled with practical advice in work situations was enlightening. If you have to deal with a manager or are a manager - you should read this book often!

[Jenni · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all, I'm treating this as my "Z" book for the A-Z challenge this year. So sue me, I'm cheating, just a bit. Anyway, the book was just OK. Funny, but not exactly the type of management skills I would ever employ. Hmmm ... yeah, "just OK" just about sums it up.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny. But I'm trying to figure out if the guy on my staff who lent me the book has slyly mastered the Art of Managing Up by giving me this book to read knowing that I would not see myself as an elephant or if he just wanted to share a funny book because we both like "Better Off Ted".

[Adrienne Brown]

Upon reading this book I realized I do not want to be the elephant (manager/boss). All elephants are basically the same. Find your chi and let the elephant carry the stresses. :)

[Christine]

Hmm....maybe this will help.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very tongue-in-cheek, this book had me laughing as I read it. I recommend it to anyone who has a boss.

[Christyne]

If you have any inclination towards understanding buddhism and have a sense of humor, you will enjoy this read.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Is the opposite of innovative exovative? Small ideas often merit small books. This is a very small book.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you start reading this, you realize that your boss is an elephant and that this book will teach you how to deal with him/her.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential attitudes for surviving corporate America.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome and so very funny!! Stanley Bing is a rare wit. His business books are truly imaginative and enjoyable.

[Kiki5860]

看得是中文版

[S · Rating 1 out of 5]

A book about nothing

[Lori Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

An optional-read book on spirituality in self development for knowledge workers, managers, executives, and entrepreneurs.

[Cliff Watt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing and thought provoking book. Actually did laugh aloud at a few bits. Interesting take on who holds the power in business relationships. Good fun.