Places and People that Use The No Asshole Rule
A
reporter asked me recently, “The No
Asshole Rule is fun to talk about, but does anyone ever actually use
it?” It turns out that there is also a lot good news
out there, lots of great leaders and many civilized places that people can work.
This list is far from exhaustive, but check
out the breadth of places and the different ways that the rule is used:
Barclays Capital. They don’t use the word
“asshole,” because they are, after all, a respectable financial
institution! BusinessWeek
reports:
“Hotshots who alienate colleagues are told to change or leave.
"We have a 'no jerk' rule around here," says Chief Operating Officer
Rich Ricci.”
The Disbarred Lawyer. The Village
Voice tells us that attorney Kenny Heller might be the most obnoxious
in New York City
and that the powers that be finally had enough of his antics:
‘After 50 years of
heaping abuse on everyone within earshot and hurling accusations of
conspiracies, "favoritism," and "cronyism" at countless
judges and lawyers, the 77-year-old Heller has earned this distinction: No
other lawyer in the city but Heller, according to records of his disciplinary
hearing, has been ousted for "obstructive and offensive behavior which did
not involve fraud or deception."’
‘Heller was disbarred for basically "being an
asshole," as one adversary puts it. And in their profession, the rival
adds, "that takes some doing."’
Lloyd Gosselink and Perkins
Coie. Lawyers may earn their bad reputations at
times, but I have been pleasantly surprised by how many firms espouse and
enforce “no asshole rules.” Joshua
de Koning, is firm Administrator of Lloyd
Gosselink Blevins Rochelle & Townsend, which is
located in Austin, Texas.
Sterling Foundation
Management.
Sterling helps
wealthy individuals establish and management private foundations. CEO and co-founder Roger D. Sterling wrote
me, after “stumbling” on The No Asshole
Rule that:
‘This is a
principle that I was told about early in my career as "Never do business
with an Asshole," and which we have since adopted. We've applied it to both clients and
employees, to greatly beneficial effect. I would reckon it of equal or greater
worth than present value analysis, which I must have been taught a dozen times
in the course of getting to a Ph.D. in applied economics.’
Gold’s Gym. Joe Gold was founder of the famous gym that produced multiple body building champions, including a certain future film star and California governor named Arnold. His management philosophy was:
“To keep it simple you run your
gym like you run your house. Keep it clean and in good running order. No jerks
allowed, members pay on time and if they give you any crap, throw them out.
There's peace where there's order."
van Aartrijk Group. Peter van Aartrijk is CEO and
founder of this 14 person marketing and advertising. He has used the rule
since 2000, when the firm was founded.
As Mr. van Aartrijk told The Wall Street Journal in April:
I decided we would surround
ourselves with clients who are
fun to be with and are still very smart. All of what we've done since has been
built around that simple philosophy -- a 'No Assholes Policy,' or NAP."
Mr.
van Aartrijk reports that applies the rule to employees as well as clients, and
that: that he routinely uses this policy to turn away clients:
"I probably turn away about 20% of the revenue we could be bringing
in. But I think we gain over the long term, in relationships with clients;
we're still growing 20% a year. We make new clients aware of the NAP up front.
Most of them love it. Some send emails to others and blind-copy me, and they
say, 'Be sure to ask him about his NAP.'"
The Wine Buyer. The belief that the no asshole rule ought to be
applied to customers can be seen in many industries. A California
wine buyer explained how he applies the rule:
“In my
business, we have a rule that says that a customer can either be an arsehole
(I'm English originally) or a late pay, but not both. We have reduced stress
considerably by excluding some customers on this basis.”
A related concept is
“asshole taxes:” I know people in occupations ranging from plumber to
management consultant who don’t “fire” asshole customers, but charge them
substantially hire fees as “battle pay” for enduring the abuse.
“Asshole-Free Section” in a
Bar. I love this recent post by Pam over at Writing,
Work and Weasels:
‘Once, at my father’s pub, we had a particularly raunchy crowd
of drunken, loudmouth idiots. One of our regulars took a piece of cardboard
from a beer delivery box and a magic marker, and scrawled “Asshole-Free
Section.” He stuck it on the corner of the bar where we were sitting, and we
entertained ourselves for an hour or so saying “hey, didn’t you bother to read
the sign?” to anyone who came to sit with us.’
Washington Mutual. Lou Pepper was CEO of
Washington Mutual in the 1980’s. Lou was
a lawyer when he was brought in as CEO. It was then a small local bank that was losing about 5 million dollars a
month. Everyone assumed that his job was
to shutdown the bank or to sell it. Instead, Lou helped turned the company around and it has since become a
huge and successful bank. When Lou heard
about the book, he wrote me “I was CEO of
Washington Mutual in the 1980s and had a clear rule for our hiring. It was hire
the smartest we can so long as they are not assholes. In 1990, when my
successor took, over he kept the same rule.” Lou told me that it was not the first time
that he had applied the rule; he used it at the law firm that he led before
taking the Washington Mutual job.
Bible Studies Class. This one still amazes me
more than any other experience that I’ve had since publishing the book. I’ve
written about it before, but no list of different places where the rule has
been discussed and used would be complete without it. Psychology Professor Richard Beck wrote a
post called "1
Corinthians and The No Asshole Rule." He starts out:
'Two weeks ago it was my turn to teach my adult Bible class at
church. We are going through 1 Corinthians and I was up to teach the famous
Chapter 13, "Love is patient, love is kind..."
And
I thought to myself, "Richard, what are you possibly going to say in class
that hasn't been said before about 1 Corinthians 13?"
Then
it hit me. I started the class by doing a book review and reading selections
from Dr. Robert Sutton's new book The
No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't.
Beck concludes:
'So, we reflected on all this in my Sunday School class. And
after reflection on the No Asshole
Rule, I read these famous words:
"Love
is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no
record of wrongs..."
Basically,
don't be an asshole.'
SuccessFactors. This Silicon Valley firm is one of the fastest growing software firms in the world. I have blogged
about them extensively since publishing the books because they not only
have a “no assholes rule,” they require all new hires to sign an agreement –
they call it “the rules of engagement” --
that includes making a commitment not to
act like an asshole. I also gave a talk on The
No Asshole Rule to all 400 people in the company last January, just before
the book came out – which was great fun, as the audience hollered and hooted
constantly. Check out their website
for goodies including a video of CEO Lars
Dalgaard talking about the rule (and admitting that he is a recovering
asshole) and also an article that I wrote for the McKinsey Quarterly that talks about their company (and other
aspects of building a civilized workplace).
Arup’s “No Dickhead Rule.” Arup is one of the most
renowned construction engineering firms in the world; in fact, they were
recently profiled in The New Yorker (Check
out this abstract for the ‘The
Anti-Gravity Men”). As I wrote here, Robert Care, CEO of the Arup’s Australian and Asian
operations recently wrote me that they instituted the “no dickhead rule” in his
part of the firm:
"I work
for a truly wonderful professional services company that is truly extraordinary
and that is doing really well in many many ways. Three years ago I became
the CEO of our Australasian operation. It occurred to me that there was
an issue (not just in the Australasian part of our operations) that needed to
be dealt with. I then heard something in September 2005 that started me
thinking, and then talking to my close colleagues. They encouraged me to
speak more widely in my organisation and eventually we evolved a 'no dickhead
policy'. "
Hamilton Canada: The Jerk Free City? I confess
that this is stretching it, as it is a proposal that has not been implemented. One of my favorite articles on the
book appeared in the Hamilton Spectator.
Author Jay Rob proposed, “Let’s Try To Be a Jerk Free City.” Rob’s half serious proposal was that they adopt "Hamilton: The Jerk Free City" as their official slogan. And he added:
To
stand by our slogan, we'd have stand firm on our no-jerk rule. We wouldn't work
for them. Do business with them. Or elect them.
Everyone would get a shot at redemption through eight-week intensive courses run by previously invisible receptionists, cleaning staff and admin. assistants. Folks who refused to get along would have to move along. If the Aerotropolis doesn't fly, let's pave over some farmland and build a walled-in suburban compound of McMansions where ill-tempered big-shot bullies could snarl at each other and leave the rest of us alone.”
The
diversity of this list delights me. Sure, there are still too many jerks out there and too many
organizations (and apparently cities) where every day feels like a walk down Asshole Avenue. But there are also a lot of smart and
civilized people who are fighting back and, better yet, winning.
P.S. Here are some updates:
Former Gillette CEO Jim Kilts advises: Never Hire a Prick in his new book.
Asa Dotzler at Mozilla explained to me what it isn't efficient to be an asshole there, or in the open source world in general.
The CEO of Goldcorp in Canada reports spending a lot of time enforcing the rule:
There is a bestseller right now called The No Asshole Rule.
It is all about: 'Don't hire any assholes.' So I spend a lot of time
picking who we're going to hire. You need someone with technical
qualifications, but you also have to find someone who can work with
other people and respect other people
P.P.S.
These examples focus mostly on “top down changes,” but organizational norms can
also change when persistent and influential people work to set the right
example and to point out – even in public – when behavior happens that
demonstrates the wrong way to behave. A
good example of this comes from a British manager who wrote me that he works in
a firm that is infested with assholes, but since he read The No Asshole Rule, he and several colleagues are working to change their norms. He described one of the most
effective methods as follows ‘I now attend a lot of management meetings where I have started
to introduce the idea of a civilized work place and that we lose available
efficiency and effectiveness due to people being de-motivated. When I am now faced with negativity or an
"Asshole" I have started to use a new approach of: “surely you don’t
want us to breed that type of feeling in the business or listen to what you
just said.” I have found this head on
approach very successful.’
While I love your book, I don't see it making much of a difference in the workplace.
I'll explain why in a moment, but first, let me say that I have direct experience with an "asshole" as defined by Dr. Sutton. I think I can guess with much accuracy that Ms. "Debra Probable Marketing Person" below probably uses "utilize" and "impact" (as a verb) and "branding" way too much. Based on what she's written, I can surmise that she knows nothing about this subject other than what she just read on this blog. I figure Debra for an asshole herself, which is a common malady among marketing people, in my experience. Most of them can't tell their, uhhh, asshole from a hole in the ground. I would encourage her to read more on this subject. She's like those people who used to scoff at the problems of priest-to-child sexual abuse and similar such "hidden social epidemics." On the other hand, I think Kevin Bush, whose comments also appear below, has hit the target dead-on.
Let me explain that several of my colleagues and I were victimized by a maniacal, bi-polar asshole for about 10 years. MY personal antagonist personifies the term "asshole." Luckily, about six years ago, I was able to escape her clutches, but she continues to make my former colleagues' lives miserable. We've all suffered emotionally and physically from the stress of working with Ms. Asshole.
Over the past decade, I've read nearly everything I can on this subject. Occasionally, I'll come across a new "list of asshole characteristics," which propose to help people identify who is truly an asshole and who's merely a jerk. My antagonist meets virtually every one of the criteria on every list I've ever seen.
Her asshole actions range from small slights -- like never acknowledging a co-worker she's passing in a long, narrow hallway, even first thing in the morning, to the larger -- like threatening to kill a subordinate, and worse.
Your book has helped raise awareness, and I'm sure more people have applied some thought to the subject as a result of reading it, although, of course, true assholes would never see themselves in its pages.
As a survivor (which neither you nor Gary Namie can claim); a close, first-hand observer (which you can't claim, Dr. Sutton); and a long-time student of the subject in question, I think I speak with some authority, and I'd submit that the only problem I find with your book is the use of the word "asshole."
Although I don't personally object to the USE of the word (my daughters thought I invented it), I have the same problem with "asshole" that I have with its counterpart from the Namie group -- "bully."
Here's the problem, as I see it -- When you tell upper management that you're having a problem with a "bully," even if he/she seems to be sympathetic, they consider you a cry-baby who can't take the pressure of the business world. They're used to hearing that word in only one context -- as it's used on the playground.
If instead, you label the offender an "asshole," those you're complaining to either question your ability to express yourself, or you find later that they never take such an allegation to a higher-up, especially if they're a "good Christian" -- as many "unseeing" managers profess to be here in the Midwest. So your case is dead the first time you tell it. Even if you can produce pages of documentation about the asshole's actions, no one will take it seriously enough if you use either the term "asshole" or "bully." Although I love the term, and I love your book, I don't believe it will do anything to curb the abuse of employees in the U.S. workplace by assholes.
We simply need another descriptive term. I don't HAVE that term -- I only know that we don't have it yet. I can tell you this, because I've tried and seen it tried by others -- you do not get serious attention from a COO, CEO, or any of their direct-reports when you use the term "bully" or "asshole."
By the way, ANY attempt to improve your situation by dealing directly with the asshole is doomed to failure. I've seen only one result from going to the asshole directly -- bad. That is, unless you're a minority. And I'm not criticizing minorities. It takes courage to confront a bully. The problem is that most assholes are well-versed about what they CAN and CAN'T get away with. And most bullies know that even in so-called "right-to-work" states, you don't mess with minorities because they're protected from discrimination by law. Also, I believe assholes invariably have psychological issues, so you may as well try to reason with Charlie Manson.
Our only hope is legislation like that which has been enacted in a few countries (and in Quebec, I believe?). So in a sense, I think both "asshole" and "bully," while helping to bring awareness to this cause, should be scrapped, as they now seem to be trivializing the issue.
Unfortunately, I'll die before I see any positive action in this arena in the U.S. (But I did just get a good laugh out of picturing George Bush supporting "anti-asshole" legislation.)
Posted by: Steve Marcus | April 17, 2008 at 09:12 PM
I wish a book like this had fallen into my hands years ago. Things were so low for me at one point in time that I fantasized about the best way I could "off" the assholes and get away with it (yes, I was that low). Now, things are better and I have adapted. I do not fight assholes because to do so only encourages them that their stance is correct, and they become bigger assholes. I do not support assholes and the logic of that statement should be self-evident. Now, I ignore assholes. That is the only solution to survive. Thank God I am nearly done and getting closer to retirement.
P.S. The outfit I work for has recently commissioned an outside firm, at the cost of several million dollrs, to determine why things are so lousy with employee productivity (hint, maybe they should abandon their mission statement which says that "the beatings will continue until morale improves").
Posted by: olive | February 17, 2008 at 10:56 AM
The book changed my life. Literally. After living 6 sleepless months under the draconian regime of a certified "asshole" I decided that it was my professional responsibility to speak up on behalf of my subordinates as well as myself. After voicing my concerns through the obvious channels, word got back to my manager of my complaints and I was fired for displaying "an ingrained sense of self-importance." At least now I know that the no asshole rule did not apply in that organization. I may be unemployed for the moment, but at least I'm not an asshole. Thanks to your book, I'm much better prepared to spot one when I see one next time. And I'll steer clear.
Posted by: Bossy Bosserton | February 12, 2008 at 12:13 PM
I really think this book applies to my past dilemma at a hopital I worked at. Not only was my lead an asshole, but the higher ups too, all the way to the head manager, but they see it as the underlings problem. So they possibly dont have a No asshole rule there at all. If you think hopitals are without Assholes, they actually emply the most!
Posted by: kevin brislawn | February 10, 2008 at 06:28 AM
Jay,
Thanks for the question on my blog… at one point, we actually had a website set-up to do this, but never launched because in the end we decided it was not in very good taste… I also had a police captain call me about that time and make some threatening noises after someone had left him an anonymous copy. Sorry, part of me still wants to do it, but part of me thinks it is a bad idea!
I leave it to you to buy the copies and send them out yourself.
If you want something really tasteless in this vein, see this:
http://www.thisnext.com/item/36BEE742/Send-A-Big-Pink-Rubber-A-hole
Cheers,
Bob
Posted by: Bob Sutton | January 28, 2008 at 08:46 PM
Is there an anonymous service that will send this great book out to people who really need to read it? I'd be happy to pay to have this book sent to a few of my "colleagues" that still behave like work is a second grade play ground.
Posted by: Jay Hitchcock | January 28, 2008 at 03:34 PM
yeah, great idea JT! How about creating a list of nominated assholes with the full details?
This would be a great tool to have for all HR people around the world. We use database for tracking denied companies, same could be done for people. With photos, home address and the full statement of their sins.
Posted by: TallUki | January 25, 2008 at 01:59 AM
Thank you for your book. I'm an executive/administrative assistant/secretary and keep repeating the pattern of working with C-line executives for maybe an extra 10-15k a year? Your book is indirectly helping me ask better questions when I interview and to trust my observations. I'm still idealistic at 40 so I hope to have a nice boss some day.
Posted by: Ann | November 16, 2007 at 11:25 AM
I saw the good Dr. at a Stanford class. He's compelling and an entertaining speaker. We all know the content rings true and we'd all be better off if we reduced our "temporary" asshole events as well.
Posted by: The good Dr is quite entertaining | October 30, 2007 at 03:44 PM
Do you have any thoughts etc. on the topic of not being able to make a commitment or decision in the workplace. I have seen situations where people have lacked the ability or willingness to act & the damage it causes. This is why I have come up with the phrase “I used to be indecisive but now I am not so sure” as a way to laugh off the ill effects.
Please let me you what your thoughts are
Posted by: Kevin Bush | October 22, 2007 at 10:29 AM
I want to say, that from an employee’s point of view, identifying the ‘asshole’ at your workplace, doesn’t really change things for the better; especially when these a-holes are in Upper Management and all they care about is the bottom line!
I’ve endured several years of offensive behavior (to say the least!) and I’ve worked in this hostile environment always hoping that tomorrow will be a better day…
I’ve watched 2 Area Managers, 3 District Managers and many GM’s get fired, not to mention those who just walked out /quit because of the abusive & demanding characters of the Upper Management.
What can a simple employee do in a situation like this?
Corporate folks must not have any interpersonal training on how to treat their employees. It’s a domino effect—happy employees, are loyal and work hard and go the extra mile; unhappy employees, resent their bosses, don’t give a care and aren’t productive….
Don’t they get it???
Since late 2004, I’ve watched the front door of our establishment become a revolving door---employees would come in (and some of them had real potential), and almost instantly, they would be heading out the door again, to never come back…
It’s been a roller coaster ride, constantly struggling, going home exhausted, aggravated and bitter just to go back the next day to put up with it all over again.
We’ve had several incidents take place over the last few months which inflamed the situation to such a degree, the entire crew and Lower Management just quit!
These incidents included: no raises, refusal to give earned vacation pay, bonuses taken away without notice, demotions, no training but still expecting employees to perform at their optimum ability, unreasonable changes in the work-schedule, and over-turning previous agreements made in the past with Upper Management.
It had also been said that the ones they wanted to get rid of, they’d make them quit so they cannot get unemployment. And those who were smart enough to object and say, “I’m calling Human Resources”, were told that they would be terminated on the spot!
So again, I ask----what is a simple employee to do in a situation like this?
I just cannot describe to you the stress, the anger, the disappointment I’ve felt the last few months. Not to mention the added aggravation from having to deal with Stupidity in the Workplace!
I will read your book, but I’m afraid Assholes will continue to rule in Corporate America and there’s not much we can do about it!
Posted by: Chrysoula Holtzhauer | September 22, 2007 at 06:49 AM
Folks, dignity and empowerment are just fine for our everyday lives. But we as a society need something more.
We need a few people, in the backbone of a nation, particularly our military and pubic service, who still spell Character and Disicipline with capital letters and understand these qualities as simple, non negotiables.
Character is a bright hard line. I am not going to define it for the Robert Sutton generation, but it is not always nice or fair. Discipline is not just being a good little boy or girl and brushing your teeth and respecting others - it is the ability to act as part of a TEAM and OBEY.
These fundamentals cannot be taught by model or example. They can only be drummed in by adversity and confrontation, by someone who is willing to contront. Bob Knight understands this, as do our military veterans. Thank God someone still does.
Posted by: brownshoes | July 07, 2007 at 10:17 AM
What about the professor who uses his power of the pen to give students Fs because he does not like their advisor or department? Even when students win the grade dispute, the pain goes on.
Posted by: dancer | June 20, 2007 at 07:54 PM
Hi Bob, Haven't read your book yet and probably will not because you are absolutely right but like most of us (I guess), I've already found out about this. When I was a kid my father used to say to me: If you don't like how things are going, then make a career and do it differently. That's what I did and I became an MD of a small sized company (30 employees). But I had to put up with so much sh.. through my entire professional career and still seem to have to. It's not just the fact that it is annoying and tiring. The worst part is that in the end you don't like working anymore. And you end up looking forward to your retirement although you are way too young for that (I'm 45). I wish I had founded my own company. Customers can be assholes too, but at least they pay the bills.
But hey! Good subject! But it only works when the assholes buy the book and not the ones who have to cope with them. But that would probably cut your sales by 90 %. So maybe it is not such a good idea after all.
Posted by: Jeroen Goetschalckx | June 05, 2007 at 08:44 AM
hey.....Mr.shutton... I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK U HAVE DONE FOR THE BOOK "THE NO ASSHOLE RULES" to be frank i am not a book freak.... by chance i saw this book in the stands picked a while and i read the firt two lines of the page,,, i was really impressed ,,,,yup....i traded the book for myself,,,,i am really happy to know... how assholes... are....its really working in my company to.....(workplace)..
and i am very much greatfull for the book...
......
M.G.BALAJI
"DESIGN ENGINEER"
TECPRO SYSTEMS LTD,
BANGALORE-INDIA.
Posted by: BALAJI.M.G | June 04, 2007 at 02:03 AM
hey.....Mr.shutton... I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK U HAVE DONE FOR THE BOOK "THE NO ASSHOLE RULES" to be frank i am not a book freak.... by chance i saw this book in the stands picked a while and i read the firt two lines of the page,,, i was really impressed ,,,,yup....i traded the book for myself,,,,i am really happy to know... how assholes... are....its really working in my company to.....(workplace)..
and i am very much greatfull for the book...
......
M.G.BALAJI
"DESIGN ENGINEER"
TECPRO SYSTEMS LTD,
BANGALORE-INDIA.
Posted by: BALAJI.M.G | June 04, 2007 at 02:03 AM
I picked up this book at the local book emporium, out of curiosity with the title. I am glad I did. For the past several years, I have been suffering what I thought was age or health-related burnout, and was really wondering what was wrong with me. Upon reading the book, I was able to identify what the malaise was: several key people in my organization are in fact assholes, and I was very close to the end of my rope. This has been a real revelation, and I am beginning to think that maybe "asshole poisoning" is at least partially behind the increase in road rage, work rage, and pretty-much-every-place-else rage.
This is a topic I intend to explore further.
Thanks for a very informative book.
~EdT.
Posted by: Ed T. | May 27, 2007 at 04:50 PM
I work in an environment where the assholes/bullies look like sorority girls. They are all smiles, good clothes, perfect teeth, etc. For the first few months after joining the firm, I thought that their bad behavior was the result of a particular individual's incompetence. However, it soon became apparent that this nastiness was a form of bonding for these women at the expense of the "Losers" they victimized.
One day the head of the office, who is also the head of the bully brigade, was being particulary overt and vicious to one of my co-workers in a staff meeting and before I knew that my lips were moving I heard my voice saying "Your inner ugly is showing."
My life certainly hasn't been easier since then, but "the inner ugly" has become legendary among the non-bullying staff and a kind of rallying cry for those of us who refuse to drink the mean-girl koolade.
Posted by: Debra | May 15, 2007 at 09:35 PM
The term asshole is a tad crass.
Crassness itself is a behaviour of assholes. This has me wondering about the true character of the author.
It seems that it's just a marketing ploy whereby if you first can grab a persons attention (media crassness) then you now have an audience with which making a sale may be possible. It's the A (attention) in the AIDS rule of marketing.. attention, interest, desire and sell.
Me, myself, I'm not conned by this shameless marketing.
Emotional immaturity is a common affliction of mankind. It's been that way forever albeit seems to be getting worse lately.
Even though I don't condone the crass marketing of the "no asshole rule" and feel that the author must even be one himself, that does not take away from the validity of advice that is given.
Posted by: graham | May 15, 2007 at 10:12 AM
Well, if we don't want assholes around us, we need to define what a real asshole is. My take on that is:
It is a person that is indifferent to other people’s feelings.
It is a person that satisfies selfish needs regardless of others.
It is a person who uses manipulation and intimidation to control others.
It is a person that goes beyond the formal and informal rules.
It is a person that creates the truth to his/hers advantage.
It is people the leaves a trail of conflicts behind them.
That is pretty much the definition of a psychopath...
Posted by: NN | May 13, 2007 at 01:51 PM
These comments have been invaluable to me as is this whole site. I thank you for your comment.
Posted by: Rosie | May 08, 2007 at 11:28 AM
I have a theory that the leadership style of Corporate America(from Fortune 500 down to sidewalk lemonade stands) mimics the leadership style that we have in the Whitehouse. In other words, American CEOs tend toward asshole when the President and Vice President are assholes. Think about it and see if I am not correct. How were American CEOs behaved when Jimmy Carter was in office? How about Gerald Ford? George W Bush? What would change if we were to have President Cheney? Should this affect the way we vote? What would it be like to deliver a pizza to Hillary Clinton? What about Barack Obama, or Giuliani, Romney, or McCain. I would suggest there is no benefit to electing President Asshole. If assholes spread like rabbits then having one in the Whitehouse means that all Cabinet members have to be assholes. Consider - Do we want an asshole in charge of FEMA? Or of the CIA? Or as an ambassador to the United Nations? Or as chief of the World Bank? Is your current boss an asshole? Mine is.
Posted by: feralpigeon | April 25, 2007 at 12:09 PM
what about people who've been bullied and become asshole as a result of bullying, to defend themselfs ? Any opinions or experience on that?
thanks
Posted by: Cindy McKinsey | April 15, 2007 at 04:51 PM
If you do know someone who is an asshole, give them the asshole award toilet paper....that will humble the a-hole. Or just buy one for yourself (with the a-holes picture on it) and display it on your desk
Posted by: get revenge - asshole award | April 07, 2007 at 09:52 AM
Bob, I heard your interview on NPR the other day and was interested in this issue of the office bully. Two years ago, I published "Trust Loops in Leadership: A Primer on Synergy for the Learning Manager." The book really began from an article on Hiring for Synergy that PM Magazine published in 1996. In my early years as a supervisor, I had a talent for hiring high performers. Some high performers perform bacause they are healthy, self actualized people and others are high performers because they have something to prove and they leave dead bodies all around the office. I was not good at distinguishing between the two. What I found out after I hired them was that bullies may be very productive but they keep the rest of the staff off balance; and the net performance of the group is lower than it would be without the high performing bully. This got confirmed for me when a couple of people left my organization and the group got more accomplished without them than with them. In the early 1990s, I started involving the entire work group in the hiring process and would make it a point to bring the office secretaries into the recap meeting following the interviews for new hires. I would ask front office people to describe the behavior of the candidates while they were waiting for their interview. If the candidate had been rude or condescending to them while they were waiting, the candidate was not considered further. There is a virtually infallible predictor of bully behavior. "People who are rude to coworkers and clients are always rude to office assistants." After I bagan involving the staff in the interviews for new hires, the success of my work groups improved drastically and I kept that same process for 15 years with no disappointing new hires.
Posted by: Paul Ludwick | March 09, 2007 at 08:50 AM