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June 19, 2007
The Civilized Workplace: No Jerks Allowed
An obnoxious coworker, a malicious manager, a bullying boss — there's no getting around it: today's workplace is beset with jerks. These people deliberately make coworkers and subordinates feel bad about themselves in our day-to-day working environment, and the human and financial toll is high.
WARNING: This post contains a certain word that may be offensive to some readers. However, if you have to deal with even one jerk at work, then it may just prove invaluable.
They poison the work environment, decrease productivity, induce qualified employees to quit and, therefore, are detrimental to business, regardless of their individual effectiveness. Author Robert I. Sutton makes the solution plain: these toxic workers have to go.
When it was published earlier this year, Sutton's latest book proposed zero tolerance for jerks. Managers who belittle and oppress one victim after another shouldn't be hired, the Stanford University professor of management science said. And if people turn mean on the job and won't change, they ought to be fired. The book, as Workforce Management recently referred to it, is "a constant reminder of how terribly toxic, costly and counterproductive bad behavior in the workplace can be."
"The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't" sprang from an essay Professor Sutton wrote a few years ago that Harvard Business Review included in its Breakthrough Ideas for 2004.
In the HBR essay, Sutton apologized for the crude language, and while he suggested more civilized synonyms — tyrants, bullies, boors, destructive narcissists and psychologically abusive people — he defended the "A-word" because, "Somehow, when I see a mean-spirited person damaging others, no other term seems quite right." Sutton says the term "asshole" encompasses "bullying, interpersonal aggression, emotional abuse, abusive supervision, petty tyranny and incivility in the workplace."
And these nasty people (hardly a substitute for the all-encompassing term) have devastating cumulative effects, "partly because their uncivilized interactions have a far bigger impact on our moods than positive interactions — five times the punch, according to recent research... . It takes numerous encounters with positive people to offset the energy and happiness sapped by a single episode with one asshole."
Moreover, Sutton shows that such behavior affects the bottom line of a business through impaired individual performance and collectively impaired organizational performance, including increased turnover, absenteeism, decreased commitment to work.
Research in the United Kingdom and the United States suggests that the problem is more widespread than you may think, and that jerk infestations are quite common. A 2000 study found that 27 percent of the workers in a representative sample of 700 Michigan residents experienced mistreatment by someone in the workplace.
Workplace jerks do their dirty work in a number of ways, and Sutton recently listed 12 of them in The McKinsey Quarterly:
1) Personal insults;
2) Invading coworkers' personal territory;
3) Uninvited physical contact;
4) Threats and intimidation, verbal and nonverbal;
5) Sarcastic jokes and teasing used as insult-delivery systems;
6) Withering e-mail;
7) Status slaps intended to humiliate victims;
8) Public shaming or status degradation rituals;
9) Rude interruptions;
10) Two-faced attacks;
11) Dirty looks; and
12) Treating people as if they were invisible.
However, leaders can take steps to build workplaces in which demeaning behavior is not tolerated and assholes are given the boot.
Take as an example SuccessFactors, one of the fastest-growing software companies — and the fastest with revenues over $30 million. All employees hired by SuccessFactors agree in writing to 14 "rules of engagement," according to The McKinsey Quarterly. Rule 14 starts out, "I will be a good person to work with — not territorial, not be a jerk." (SuccessFactors only uses "jerk" on the Web site, in favor of Sutton's preferred term.)
According to the fifth of CEO and co-founder Lars Dalgaard's founding principles:
No Jerks! Our organization will consist only of people that absolutely love what we do, with a white hot passion. We will have utmost respect for the individual in a collaborative, egalitarian, and meritocratic environment — no blind copying, no politics, no parochialism, no silos, no games, no cynicism, no arrogance — just being good!
Dalgaard's business case against tolerating nasty and demeaning people is that companies that do so not only have more difficulty recruiting and retaining the best and brightest talent, but are also prone to higher client churn, damaged reputations and diminished investor confidence. Innovation and creativity may suffer, and cooperation could be impaired, both within and outside the organization — no small matter in an increasingly networked world.
The following are the top eight steps to enforce the "No-Asshole Rule," taken from the business bestseller's insights:
1) Say the rule, write it down, and act on it.
2) Assholes will hire other assholes.
3) Get rid of assholes fast.
4) Treat certified assholes as incompetent employees.
5) Power breeds nastiness.
6) Embrace the power-performance paradox.
7) Manage moments — not just practices, policies and systems.
8) Model and teach constructive confrontation.
Sutton recently provided four additional practices that prove useful for enforcing the rule:
1) Make the rule public by what you say and, especially, do.
2) Weave the rule into hiring and firing policies.
3) Teach people how to engage in "constructive confrontation."
4) Apply the rule to customers and clients, too.
Then again, because people follow rules and norms better when there are rare or occasional examples of bad behavior, "no-asshole" rules might be most closely followed in organizations that permit one or two token jerks to hang around. These "reverse role models" remind everyone of the wrong behavior.
The bottom line, according to Sutton: link big policies to small decencies. Effective asshole management happens when there is a virtuous, self-reinforcing cycle between the "big" things that organizations do and the "little" things that happen when people talk with one another and work together.
Resources
The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't
by Robert I. Sutton
Warner Business Books (hardcover), Feb. 22, 2007
Zero Tolerance for Jerks
by John Hollon
Workforce Management, Feb. 12, 2007
Breakthrough Ideas for 2004: The HBR List ("Not Worth the Trouble")
by Sutton
Harvard Business Review, February 2004
Building the Civilized Workplace
by Sutton
The McKinsey Quarterly, June 2007
Nasty People
by Sutton
CIO Insight, May 1, 2004
Bob Sutton: Work Matters blog
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47 CommentsIn today's "self esteem is the most important" world, I am not sure if you can really apply this philosophy.
Too many workers today "feel" put upon for the tiniest infraction.
June 19, 2007 1:23 PMOn a scale of 1 to 10, Dow Chemical, about 8 years ago, was about a 3 and dropping. Huntsman is probably about a 9.5, with hope for improvement.
June 19, 2007 1:40 PMAfter 30 years in the "Design" business at various levels, I had the misfortune of having to work for a small company whose chief engineer is the Webster's dictionary definition of "a__hole". I cut my losses and got out as soon as I could. You could use his name in place of a__hole and it would fit perfectly.
They went through over 40 designers in 14 years. Obviously the owners are just as bad.
The worst experience of my life.
June 19, 2007 1:49 PMI can relate. A temper tantrum can really affect your bottom line. Being in sales and service, this is paramount in everything that we do.
I worked for a company run by a tyrant years ago and I still remember how terrible it all felt -- and how difficult it would get at times to focus on the job at hand, instead of trying to stay out of his way. I learned a great lesson then; you can't pay me enough to endure abuse in the workplace. I spend way too much time with my coworkers to operate "on eggshells."
That is not to mean that we should be complaining about every little thing, however. The world is full of obstacles; our success comes from how we overcome (preferably positively).
June 19, 2007 2:36 PMI am a firm supporter of the Right of Free Speech.... however "anything you say can and may be held against you."
I have found that many times the "a_hole" warms up after short pleasantries, but when success depends on prompt and efficient service, there is little time for chocolates and flowers.
June 19, 2007 2:36 PMThis exact thing was put forth in Scott Adams' book, "THE DILBERT PRINCIPLE" a number of years ago.
In Chapter 26 of the book, he started with a list of things to do to improve your organization, and NUMBER ONE on the list was "Get rid of the assholes!" Seems like a pretty popular sentiment. Adams described this type of individual as being at times a person who exists for no other reason than to be an irritant to everyone else. To paraphrase what he said:
"Nothing so severely saps a company's worth and productivity as does the asshole. While some of them may be quite productive in their own right, by and large the damage they do by being themselves quite overshadows the benefit they may give by being there. Get rid of them."
It also works for micromanagers. This is a particularly stultifying sort of asshole who seems to firmly believe that no thought from anyone else can go through him (or her) without his stamp of approval, or some minor change to make it more perfect. They incessantly interrupt you to urge you on to finish what you're doing faster, and keep asking questions to be better informed about something they have no need to know.
What business needs is what I call the Eisenhower Doctrine. Ike was very successful as a general because he kept to one rule. Never get into some else's business unless he really had to. He surrounded himself with top-notch subordinates who he implicitly trusted to do what they did best. And then, he... DIDN'T manage them. He felt that they knew their jobs and he didn't have to interfere once he told them to get going. He only asked to be informed about what they were generally doing, so he could tell HIS superiors what was happening. It was simple. FDR passed it down to him to win the war. He passed on to his troops to go out and make life miserable for the Germans. And then, he got out of their way and let them perform. Only when there was a problem did he step in to fix it. And it worked. We won the war, because he empowered his subordinates and got out of their way.
June 19, 2007 2:57 PMA response to Tom Williams -
Nicely said. I wish I could get my micromanager to recognize the demoralizing effect that his stamp of appoval causes.
I have been working for him for 6 years and am at the end of my rope. Maybe time for me to cut my losses. Thanks again for a well put response.
June 20, 2007 7:26 AMSo what do you recommend if you are the asshole? I know why I am the way I am, but after dealing with the same people for 13 years, who refuse to remember how to do their jobs, how do you go about changing? I understand a lot of it is the job stress, and I am a person with a lot on my back, and balancing my life would help, but even in relaxing I can't help but step up and do jobs others won't or don't want to. Oh well, I do know that things can change, but I would hate to go somewhere else and ruin it there. Thanks, Gary
June 20, 2007 9:12 AMWhy is that "selfish" seems to apply more to the male gender? Why is that "no balls" seems to apply to that same gender also? To have a truly great workplace requires respect and a ballsy type of mentality that allows us to set standards of behavior and conduct and then ACTUALLY stick to those standards to ensure that NO ONE gets away with asshole behavior? I see that people are so afraid of a lawsuit that they won't take the necessary steps to protect the work environment and overall quality of life for their other employees, so we just tolerate bad conduct rather than deal with it. Somewhere in the equation of equal rights, and fairness, we lost sight of personal responsibility and accountability for our own actions.
It is time to take back our workplaces (and our lives) by standing up and bringing back responsible behavior and consideration and respect for those we work with.
Wow! Thank you! I am so happy that this subject is being discussed. It is really important to talk about this, as it is one of the biggest threat to real productivity.
In a moment when we are faced with the fiercest international competition of all times, our companies, from CEOs down to the humblest position, need to work in harmony knowing what the company's goals and objectives are and working on improvement everyday.
This can only be done with respect inside the workplace. Real consideration for one another. In my opinion, those employees that can care less whether or not the company stay competitive, should be fired. Big time. Just fired.
And those who see what is going on and do nothing about it are guilty too. Because, as Edmund Burke once said: "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
June 20, 2007 10:54 AMBooks like "The No Asshole Rule" tell us what not to do, what behaviors to avoid. But what behaviors should our leaders embrace? For that, a good guide is "The Manager's Book of Decencies: How Small Gestures Build Great Companies."
A small decency is an everyday gesture of respect, consideration or kindness offered without expectation of reward. A decency can be as simple as saying hello or thank you, or as involved as organizing a regular team lunch.
While anyone can offer decencies, those offered by leaders have more power because leaders are more visible. Followers see their leader's behavior as a model for their own. Here are a few. Consideration Decencies.
The most basic decencies are those that demonstrate respect and consideration. A simple "hello" at the start of the day and "goodbye" at the end of the day are obvious but sometimes overlooked forms of consideration. Remembering the names of the people you work with regularly is equally as important as saying hello. Make a quick phone call or send a note to let co-workers know you are thinking about them at specific times like a wedding or the birth /adoption of a child, or while they are ill or grieving.
*Be the Host*
Make working with you a pleasure. Provide people visiting you for the first time directions to your office. Make sure the reception desk greets visitors by name. Better yet, consider them guests. Provide a place for them to hang their coat, make phone calls or check e-mail. Offer a cup of coffee or glass of water. Give them your undivided attention. Have the same consideration for people you work with every day.
*Make Meetings Decent*
For meetings you call, be the first to arrive and the last to leave. Leave the Blackberry behind. Rearrange seating to assure that everyone is included and groups are not set in opposition. Take time for introductions. Make space for quiet colleagues to offer their opinions. Finish on time, or, for greatest effect, finish early.
*If you make a mistake, apologize.*
Saying "I'm sorry" effectively is one of the most powerful small decencies available to any leader. It involves two words and only seconds of your time. Far from diminishing your importance, an apology demonstrates humility, respect for others, and a desire to learn, all of which are traits of strong leaders. Refusing to apologize after having made a mistake demonstrates pomposity of the worst kind.
*Make Yourself Accessible*
Those around you have good ideas, but it does neither you nor the organization good if they can't approach you. Try these creative ideas:
Birthday breakfast: invite everyone with a birthday that month to a breakfast with you. Use the time to listen to what the diverse group has to say.
Standing lunch date: make it known that you will be at a certain table in the cafeteria at a certain time each week or month, and that anyone can join you. If your company has facilities that work second or third shifts, make it a dinner date in those locations.
Office Hours: announce that you will be in your office and available for unscheduled visits at announced times. Leave your door open, your desk clear, and your phone forwarded.
Its about time someone made such comments. The kid who beat you up in the sandbox when you were 4 years old is now your abusive boss.
"The rules are golden and they are MY RULES."
So much for the new economy.
June 20, 2007 11:57 AMThere are two different types of workplace assholes
1: the kind that game the system just so they can get more out of it not based on merit
2: the kind that kick coworkers and employees in the ass to get more out of them or even fire them, e.g., Steve Jobs.
Yeah, Jobs is quite an asshole, but for him and Apple his attitude worked, (not saying it wouldn't have worked with another)... but I doubt it.
His asshole-factor meant he had extremely high standards and he expected his people to sastisfy those standards. No slacking. No half-witted BS.
Steve Jobs assholeness had the goal of getting the most out of his coworkers.
Most peoples' assholeness at work has the goal of somehow reducing coworkers' value and so increasing their own value...
Wonderfully written.
My previous employer covered for the workings of a jerk, and after many years of excellent yearly reviews, I had enough and left. Fortunately for me, I found another job with higher pay, closer to home, and an air of respect from one employee to another. I am considerably more effective working in an environment that does not allow its employees to be demeaned.
June 20, 2007 1:14 PM"So what do you recommend if you are the asshole?"
Gary, are your employees really that incompetent, or do you just perceive them that way? Do you let them do their job and reward productivity, or just threaten and belittle inactivity?
I have a manager that, no matter how much I do or how much work I put in, never sees it as good enough. A good manager will try to get the most from employees, but still recognizes when they do a lot of work (especially when it was done exceedingly well, and benefited the company).
My manager also doesn't realize he doesn't do my job anymore, and constantly wants to know everything I am doing, even if it's the normal, boring, day-to-day crap. The worst is, if the status update is not provided, I get threatening emails.
In comparison, my previous manager at my previous job would only talk to me during employee reviews, and always trusted me to do my job. I excelled there (and it was a much more difficult and challenging job than I have now). My current manager may see me as lazy, and unproductive, but when I am constantly seen as lazy and unproductive, no matter what I do, why should I work harder? What motivation do I have?
I know myself. I excel when given the chance to do so, and under-perform when not allowed that chance. Your employees may be the same way.
Either way, knowing you are the asshole is the first step to resolving the problem.
June 20, 2007 1:20 PMThe problem is when you work in customer service, like the cable company, and people are being assholes to you all day. They act like they have the right to treat you like a piece of sh*t just because you work there.
June 20, 2007 1:29 PM"No-Asshole Rule"
Professor Sutton is showing by his own statement
how out-of-hand phrases as this one he uses are unacceptable. When professor Sutton uses this phrase, "No-Asshole Rule", he is not cleaning up the standards of the work place but promoting the use of those kind of phrases at the work place.
Please clean up your act professor Sutton!
June 20, 2007 2:04 PM** "In today's "self esteem is the most important" world, I am not sure if you can really apply this philosophy. Too many workers today "feel" put upon for the tinest infraction." **
Posted by: GBoettner at June 19, 2007 1:23 PM
Me thinks GBoettner may be one of these "managers" this article describes.
But seriously, if a manager is an asshole, he/she will do far more than just a "tiny infraction" to show that they are an asshole.
This article really is dead-on about the subject. Like me, I am sure there are many people just giggling saying "this is my manager" or "wow, I have had managers just like this describes. Unfortunately, the managers of these managers are usually assholes too, so complaints fall upon deaf ears. Assholes breed other assholes.
Another useless study by another useless academic. As a Prime Contractor, I spent almost 4 years writing software to quantify the "Business Processes" of a major Federal Agency within D.o.D. (U.S.) The corporate process is BROKEN and most of the companies (or Public Agencies) are scared witless of someone really finding out if the sh*t should flow back up hill to their bad decisions and bad management practices. In the end they buried my software (after watering it down to the point of uselessness) and adopted a commercial "personnel" package (which still doesn't do their job). Any organization (especially those with Legacy employees) can't stand the scrutiny to REALLY find out what happens and why it happens in their organizations. My contracting Agency was scared to death of the prospect. This Yuppie wellness nonsense in this Chaps book? Is "white noise" around the actual problems of the "corporate concept" -sigh- jccampb
June 20, 2007 3:18 PMGary wrote: "So what do you recommend if you are the asshole? I know why I am the way I am, but after dealing with the same people for 13 years, who refuse to remember how to do their jobs, how do you go about changing?"
Well, see, you fire them and hire people who will do the job if they are as incompetent as you say. I don't know or claim to know your situation, but somehow I doubt they are. If you think you are an asshole, then you probably are. It may not be that they AREN'T doing the job, but they aren't doing the job the way you would or you want them to.
A good manager, instead of turning into super-jerk about it would take a step back, open up their mind and say, "Hmm, is the way they are doing it getting the job done? If so, is it as efficient as my way? If not, perhaps I can show them how my way would be more effective and efficient making it easier on everyone, or we could sit down and brainstorm about how we both can put our minds together to find a better way."
Too many managers are drunk on power to clear their mind to do that. They have the "boss complex" rather than adopting a "team approach," and THAT above anything else is what makes them piss poor at their own jobs.
So Gary, perhaps you need to look inside yourself before you go accusing your workers of being incompetent. And perhaps if they are incompetent, they are doing it simply because they have no motivation because they are working for an "asshole"?
June 20, 2007 3:19 PMJohn Campbell-
What does any of what you wrote have to do with the article?
It was dead on. It isn't about business process being broken. It is one of these very simple things that if our workplaces were to deal with the "asshole phenomenon", then it would be a huge boost to productivity and morale.
Yes, morale - something people like you, John, tend to think is trivial.
I have a feeling that those disagreeing with this article are the very people the article describes.
The truth hurts.
June 20, 2007 3:34 PMthanks for the info
June 20, 2007 3:42 PMHere is a tale of two ladies with the same personality type. One was the bad version who is the a-hole, the other was a great leader. Same personality the difference is...well you'll see.
I know of two ladies at my job. One person is exactly like this article described. Almost everyone hated her. She had a very a-holish personality. She was dictatorial, arrogant, ruthless, and dishonest. She turned our office into a civil war zone. Because of these qualities, we ended up being four months behind on the critical project we were working on, which in this organization is a VERY big deal (I apologize for not being able to go into more specifics about it, for I am forbidden.) The consequences were enormous. When she was forced to leave our organization, the very next year our project was not only early, but was trend setting, and revered as an immense success. The only thing that changed was that a-hole lady left.
Then there was another lady who had the same type of personality, but a mature version of it. I described the first lady to her, and she said "that was me when I was younger." But this lady was controlling without being dictatorial. She was confident, but not arrogant. She was ambitious but not ruthless. As a result, she learned that she could be honest and didn't need to lie like she used to. She also learned how to be respectful without feeling like she's stepping on eggshells as they often put it before they learn life's hard lessons.
She said it took her many years to learn a lot of lessons and some wisdom. She had to learn some the hard way (divorce was one). It's easy to get high on power, but when you're fired because of it, or when someone else gets that promotion instead of you, or when you have that heart attack, or divorce suddenly hits you, you start to think maybe there is a better way. When the people start leaving your area of influence and doing well in other organizations that outperform yours, you start to wonder.
She learned that there is another way, and now she is an immense powerful, but wise force in our organization: A winner. Now that she has learned every team she leads is high-performance and stellar!
For those of you who are a-holes, you can change. There are professional management organizations and trained professionals that are experts in how to hone your potential, so you can succeed more. I am not one of those people, nor am I affiliated with anyone that does. But I would be happy to discuss this with you further. Send me an email if you wish hesimalu@yahoo.com and literally make the subject "I'M FROM THAT AHOLE" so I know its not spam.
June 20, 2007 5:03 PMThe Agency I was contracted by was supposed to use the data to find out what they could legitimately outsource and what needed to stay in-house employees. Instead of utilizing that data, they literally rolled the dice on a workforce of 40,000 employees and dumped a huge portion of their workers without data to support their choices. People were bullied out to retirement, convinced they wanted to go to work for outsource firms (who could then fire them with impunity).
I'd say I was far more concerned about 'morale' than you accuse me of.
The workforce was very concerned about my project going ahead because it meant the right people would catch the blame for things not functioning right in their organization. 10 years ago people at that Agency would have said "I have two years to finish my projects" (as if it were their life's work) Today, that same employee would say "two more years and I'm out of here".
My point (relating to the book) is that the corporates can't (or won't) fix MAJOR problems that are catastrophic to the success of their businesses and their employees.
My wife is a senior technical manager at a major aeronautics firm. Once again today she got no lunch hour because some moron thought it would be cute to schedule a meeting during lunch hour (this has become a national trend).
There is study after study that says people only work efficiently if they get an actual 'break' during the middle of the day, private time to do non-business things. Yet this 'trick' is endemic. They (the corporates) can't (0r won't) fix simplistic things like this ... Why does this Professor think they'll get to dealing at delicate intrapersonal levels such as he addresses?
We had a professor on our project from a Virginia institution of 'higher learning' as my subcontractor. This Dr. spent months interview hundreds of the workforce and finding out what they did for a living supposedly ... used the data to derive his "skills matrix" -AND THEN THREW THE ACTUAL DATA AWAY - The Deputy Director of the organization was stunned, they had disrupted their procedures, and wasted his workers time for yet another 'study from on high' that amounted to nothing.
The workforce was disgusted and basically stopped co-operating with the study. (I couldn't blame them a bit) And this fellow thinks the Corporates are going to bother themselves with rude and thoughtless employees?
jccampb
June 20, 2007 5:11 PMI am an asshole in the office, and I have no qualms about it. I let my coworkers know when they do something well, and I let them know when they screw up. Granted, there are people that truly care only for themselves, and don't give a damn for the organization they work for, but I am not one of those people.
I make my mistakes, and I accept responsibility for those mistakes when they arise. But, to be a true leader in an organization, you must expect the most out of your coworkers/employees. It drives me crazy to see a coworker who is *very* capable, yet, under performs. From my experiences, you gain more by letting a coworker know that you expect more from them, *honestly* pointing out their flaws, and offering constructive criticism rather than simply 'letting it slide'.
At least in my organization, if I don't call you out for releasing garbage, who will?
'Tough-love' works better than you would think.
June 20, 2007 7:52 PMJohn,
Just because you had a bad experience with a "professor" doing a study does not mean all professors doing studies are wrong and useless.
While I think this guy here is stating the obvious, he is pretty much dead on - assholes beget assholes. I challenge you and anyone else to show me one, just ONE CEO or even any of his/her direct reports who are good, decent, and caring people. I feel a generalization of all these top corporate brass is very much appropriate. They would sell their own children to keep the stock prices up. So not only does their sh_t flow downhill, so does the assimilation of placing assholes in leadership roles.
June 20, 2007 8:45 PMI can see Chris Buckley would be a pleasure to work for!
June 21, 2007 12:26 AMSo, Gary, You wrote: "So what do you recommend if you are the asshole? I know why I am the way I am, but after dealing with the same people for 13 years, who refuse to remember how to do their jobs, how do you go about changing?"
If you already know you're an asshole, then as an asshole there isn't anything that can be said to you to change. You have already made up your mind that you are an asshole, and you wonder why the people act the way they do? Ask yourself, if I was treated badly from an asshole, would I work hard, or try to do my job well, or would I just barely do the job so that I wouldn't be fired? You have your answer right there!
You want to change things up really fast, and actually make lasting, and positive changes??? Here's what you do: I call it Macro Managing on a Smaller Scale.
What you do is get each of the job descriptions for each person that works for you, and actually read them 1st to see how they apply to the job that they are doing now. If it has shifted, or doesn't reflect the job at all, then go about creating another description of it to properly reflect it.
Now, do a quick interview with each person, to ensure that they understand their job description, and since it's an "interview," find out from them how accurate that portrayal is to the reality of their job.
Now you and they have got something to go on, and also they'll tell you what job is obsolete, or needs restructuring. The next step after this, is to get your managers/supervisors together, and go through each job to ensure that they know what must be achieved, and expected of them, and also weed out any unnecessary paperwork, or processes to streamline everything.
Okay, now everyone knows what they are supposed to do, and you've identified any problems, or jobs, or processes that can impede with the task(s) at hand, and then let'er go! It should work fine from there. Notice how you are not getting into the nitpicking or he/she doesn't like me kind of details...you are only concerned about what everybody was hired to do in the first place! Of course, if you've been an asshole for that amount of time, then no one is going to trust you, and we'll only see this as another asshole attack from you.
Bottom line is this: you're not much of a manager if your staff members refuse to remember how to do their jobs!
I can honestly say that if I was your boss, and I decided to apply my Macro Managing on a Smaller Scale technique to the organization, and chanced upon how things have slumped into such a disarray...you'd think I'd be the asshole for firing your incompetent, asshole, ass!!! YOU would be gone, and not them! Bye bye, asshole!!! Then all would be well in the world :-) I'd set things up again, and start anew, and then watch as they suddenly remembered how to do their jobs again...GASP...it works!!!
June 21, 2007 2:04 AMWhile I appreciate the recognition of this problem -- I am a survivor of a company jerk -- I nevertheless have second thoughts about the proffered solution. Just exactly what is an a_hole?
The current operations manager in the company I work is a bully, while his predecessor was a kind and caring man who did everything in his power to be the people manager. After carefully comparing both performances, I must grudgingly admit that the bully achieved where the other - despite good intentions - failed: a working department.
Further analysis showed that the man's bullying was not random; he only let you see all corners of the room if you failed to deliver. And what friends and enemies alike agree: he is VERY clear about what he wants. His predecessor was too nice and too shifty.
Another point i'd like to make is that in most remarks, the cited examples involve managers. I work in a business where many employees are considered a_holes. They have abrasive tempers, make caustic remarks, and hurt other peoples' feelings. Unfortunately, the most socially incompetent amongst them are usually the best workers. I myself am generally considered to be an a_hole, not because I bully, but because I am totally fixed on work, ignoring the biosphere. The perception is therefore that I am an arrogant condescending bastard, which tends to push aside that my work is often impeccable - not unexpected, as I am, as I said, fixed on my work.
I repeat: What is an a_hole? Who decides this? Is it by popular vote? In that case, I'd better start packing. What prevents clever corporate politicians from using the slogans in the article and book to remove opponents? And let's not forget: I've seen a lot of victims from corporate a_holes turn into brooding, sullen zombies. Those that stay, anyway. I wouldn't be surprised to see the a_hole that caused this behaviour to subsequently exploit it, using those same slogans that are aimed to fight him, not his victims.
Bottom line: I am weary of plans with "easy", unqualified, generalized solutions, nice sounding slogans and clearly demarcated pathways to paradise. They have a tendency to defeat the purpose they pretend to serve.
June 21, 2007 3:27 AMI know this will sound crazy, but thanks for the comments. I am a rather intense individual and probably hold others up to too high of a standard.
When I say not doing their job, I mean they won't remember how to run the programs it takes to do their jobs, nor rember the standards(tool design) of the various companies we do business for. I am not the supervisor, nor the owner (a very decent person), but I appear to be the one they use to keep the others in line. I am the one they have to come to for questions, which I can tell they debated a long time before coming over, and I try my best to be decent and civil. But when they start whining about why and that will take too long, and do I really have to run the engineering #'s, I have a hard time maintaining my cool. That is what I meant by not doing their jobs. Our customers have certain rules, and those are the ones we play by. If they don't have a rule and what they (my fellow employees) want to do will work, why not run with it? But if it doesn't and you didn't do your homework? That can cost us a lot of time and money.
Again, thanks for the comments, I understand where they are coming from. I used to be on the other side of the fence, having worked for a-holes myself, and so I do try to keep everything personable, but you can't have party time when the only thing you are selling is people's time. I'll keep reading.
Gary
June 21, 2007 12:18 PMFunny to find this written on thomasnet. More like ironic.
June 21, 2007 2:00 PMThe asshole rule needs to be adopted by senior management; however, those that tend to get away with being a jerk usually have an in with management. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been long for the company.
How does a subordinate that has a jerk boss manage? Especially in a tight job market?
Here's another good article that addresses this:
http://40hourstogo.com/2007/06/13/officle-hell-tales-from-the-cube/
June 22, 2007 12:11 AMI currently work for a guy that could easily run for jerk of the year.
I don't know why, but about a year ago he started belittling me at every turn, and slowly started stripping me of my work, and managerial responsibilities. It has gotten so bad that I intend to retire this March, 2 years earlier than I really want to. When I told this head case that I was going to retire in March, his reply was "Can't talk you into retiring any earlier?"
Everyone tells me that I am lucky, but I would love to give him a good boot in the ass just before I leave.
June 22, 2007 11:12 AM[ED. NOTE: This comment is longer than the blog post/article itself. I'd like to remind all of our readers that if you have an idea you think you can write 500+ words about, we are always open to accepting reader-contributed content and publishing as a blog article. Thanks. -DRB]
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I worked as a salesman at a software company, and the CEO/Manager was absolutely the worst asshole, manager/boss in the world!!!
This asshole was bi-polar, with a little bit of ADD sprinkled in there just for good measure, and you never knew what he was going to say from one minute to the next.
Everyday was a new adventure in how insane he was going to be, from not training me or any of the staff members so that he could yell, and make himself look like the big man when I would "allegedly" make a mistake in my demonstrations. Other sales people, and customers said I did great demos!
One fine day, I heard him say, "You know why you can't do demos? Because you don't know hoooowwww." I honestly thought he was talking to someone else, but I looked behind me, and he was just turning to walk away from "my" desk! He was talking to me, and he had this weird smile on his face like he was some little kid...CREEPY!
Even his own son couldn't work for him, and in fact, he drove his son almost insane, and he had to be hospitalized because of this asshole! His son doesn't talk to him anymore, nor does most of his family...He's on his 4th marriage, and it looks like that one is on the rocks as well.
He would steal sales from everyone, and I made a huge sale one time, and the contract that we had said that we got 14% of whatever we sell. Weeeelllll, when payday hit, he suddenly came up with "development fees" as a way to get out of paying me the full amount.
He hired a telemarketer, and we had to pay the telemarketer from our wages to work our territories as he said that we weren't able to cover all of our territories completely, and if we didn't make use of him, then he'd take our territories away from us.
Everyday, we'd have to have our sales meeting regardless of how much of an important demo, or sale was coming up. Of course that would change on a whim. These were always just little opportunities for him to put down whomever he wanted, and I called them the "bad dog meetings."
He would never have a kind word, or offer any encouragement... actually, only once did he praise for me for making an especially hard deal come through, and it was a grueling 4 hours of shouting at this other asshole in order to get him to finally understand that we weren't going to go into business with him, but we were going to sell him the software!
Favoritism, backstabbing, abuse, harassment, 2-faceness, gossiping, and belligerence was the norm with him, and he would turn a blind eye to other people who would outright steal from other sales people! He would also promise deals to other sales people even though it was in your territory, and then he'd say that this was something that was already done from before.
This was the most extreme case of an asshole boss that I have ever experienced, or have even heard of, and I'm more angry with myself at staying as long as I did, than with him because I thought I would have respected myself more than that!
You might be wondering why anyone would have stayed as long as they did, and put up with his bullsh_t? It was the potential deals that we were making, and this was big, big money, so you kept telling yourself that as soon as the big deal comes in, then you're out of there, but everyone soon realized that if he hated you, and he saw the big deals coming in, then he'd bully you into quiting, or he'd find a reason to fire you.
I quit, and I didn't give the asshole the satisfaction of firing me, and just moved on to probably the best job in the world, to me, and I haven't looked back since because I don't work for that asshole, and I'm not in his insane world:-)
#1 - If it is a small company that you will be working for, then you will have little recourse other than to quit if you end up working for an asshole as I had to do in my case. Always, always remember this! If you work for a big company, then your boss will have a boss, and then you can go over their head if they are an asshole. Hey, if you're going to be fired, then you might as well go out with a bang;-)
#2 - Have respect for yourself, and if the asshole(s) do not have any respect for you, then if circumstances permit, then make them respect you!
If you have someone who puts you down, or yells at you, then say, "What did you say to me?!!!" And walk right up into their personal space, and this will either make them back down, or they'll say something like, "If you don't like it, then you can always quit!" Remember, only do this if you've had enough, and are quiting anyway, "Bye!" Walk out, quit, leave because if you do stay then the caustic environment that you are in will permeate every facet of your life, and you are only hurting yourself, and your loved ones. Your mental health is at stake here, and besides you're cheating the employer of another company of your abilities by staying there working for the asshole!
Remember.......You deserve to be treated with dignity, and respect, and if the asshole won't treat you that way, then it's time to leave, and work for someone who will treat you that way!
Here's a special added little bonus that you'll be able to use to get another job: Use your letter of resignation to show how you do not want to be treated at this potential job. Make sure that you state upfront that you will not put up with abuse! This is if you've written one, and make sure you put down how badly you've been mistreated by the asshole, and that's why you are leaving! You be the professional, and take the higher road because you'll be able to use that fantastic piece of paper to against him if you want later on:-)
#3 - If you've made a mistake, and ended up working for an asshole, and you've tried everything in your power to resolve the issue, and you can't make any headway, then start looking for another job right away! DO NOT HESITATE...REALLY, START LOOKING RIGHT NOW IF YOU'RE READING THIS! Think! You've probably made a lot of contacts of other companies at this job, and also they might know of other people who might know of other job opportunities. Use every resource available to you RIGHT FREAKIN' NOW! If you have the opportunity to do this at your present job, then go for it because you could potentially chance upon that great job that you've been looking for, and then you're OUTTA THERE:-)))
#4 - Now that you know how not to treat people, then don't go ahead, and do the same thing back to others!
As I stated before, this was absolutely the most extreme case of the worst manager that I can recall, and I now have the model of someone who was not good at being a manager, and when I get into another managerial position, I will put that knowledge to great use... I guess he did serve one purpose... maybe I should thank him? Nawww!
June 23, 2007 12:51 AMUnless I missed it... What can you do, when the biggest A-hole of all is the company owner's spoiled 35-year-old son who attended and graduated with honors the School of BELITTLING.
A fact recognized by most of the employees and I personally handled it after an encounter by pointing it out to him and with no surprise I was let go 2 weeks later.
June 25, 2007 10:55 AMUntil a month ago, I worked for such an a__hole. At first, he made it seem like his hirees were the problem. The company went thru managers like going thru dirty socks.
After a public confrontation, I decided to part. How sweet it is! I sleep better than I've slept in the 10 months I worked for the a__hole.
July 3, 2007 12:44 PMAlthough the name of the book escapes me, several years ago I read about how most corporate climbers usually ascend until they reach their first level at which they are not 100% competent, if not downright incompetent.
Almost 4 decades in the work force has proven to me that the concept is more often true than most would like to believe.
Sadly, they then become the individuals about which David Butcher has written: "An obnoxious coworker, a malicious manager, a bullying boss — there's no getting around it: today's workplace is beset with jerks."
My personal salvation is that I have endured until I am now less than 10 months from retirement.
July 3, 2007 1:20 PMLike many others, I had my share of very good and very bad bosses in my 29 years working in Marketing.
I want to thank Mr. Butcher for his posting entitled "The Civilized Workplace: No Jerks Allowed" on June 19, 2007. Mr. summarized the book for me. I am sure the book by Professor Sutton entitled "No A...Rule" has something to offer. I considered buying that book. But the title is indeed offensive to me so I did not buy. Quite frankly, I don't need to be abused again by reading the A word again and again.
Once again, thank you Mr. Butcher. In conclusion, I like to share what one of the best managers, I had, said...."You can be a good marketing manager without being a jerk!"
John
P.S. A minor point....when we say a date, don't we use on July 4, 2007 instead of at?
July 3, 2007 8:32 PMI believe the book you refer to held that people tend to rise to the level of their incompetence. The book refered to it as the "Peter Principle".
Promotion from within has many benefits, but its greatest fault is that as many times as not promotes to the level of incompetency, and then leaves the person there, unable or unprepared to function effectively and they begin to vocally blame others....and a new asshole is born! A hard working incompetent produces more incompetency!
Business society today seems unwilling to recognize that there is real value in a worker who is at the top of his or her work area and could possibly perform at the next level. We tend to feel that they deserve the chance, but do not access the impact of their leaving the current position on both the company as well as the employee. Being an older worker, having left a business I ran for another for 17 years and then owned for 16 years and sold and then assumed a new career that has spanned 15 years in a job that is without a doubt, the easiest job I have ever had, I see the well meaning moves by management here. I have declined promotion and have provided somewhat continous "how the hell did you do thats" for the company.
Yes, I feel I could do my boss's job, but I don't know that I would want to and just maybe would not contribute to the companies bottom line to the extend I do now. We have several people who have been with this 100+ man organization since its start who hold high management positions, but in my opinion, the most effective managers and producers are those who have come from outside and have moved into their position directly. All have taken a somewhat "step down" as I did, but damn, are they effective!
July 5, 2007 8:53 AMThank you for your article.
As a survivor of a Mean Spirited Manager, still suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome of the workplace, it has helped me overcome my fear of getting out there again.
My personal nemesis A.H. was a female narcissist, who hired only "family" and friends and only promoted them. In a 12 month period the company hired 25 purchasing agents and all left within the training period, yet management never seemed to look at the reason for these sudden departures. I left after 7 plus years on the job and between me and my next coworker was 6 years! I withstood the belittling, being overburdened by the slackers' work by following a mantra from Survivor... Outwit, Outplay, Outlast... it worked well until I was able to say NO MORE! And walked...
I was raised in Big Corporate America in an Irish American family; they held the value that to waste time on the job was stealing from your employer. Giving 110% to my job. Yet everyday I felt like a failure. I trained salespeople, set up Work Flow Systems (that she stole from my desk when I went home), found new suppliers on other continents. I was employee of the month several times! Yet this woman could not even bring herself to respond to my "Good morning" with more than a sneer... what a way to start your day...
When an AH gets into power, there is little an employee can do other than to endure the abuse and work for the day when they can leave.
I've followed my former company and have actually felt ill when I've seen who has been promoted to what position -- they are the AH's little family buddies. I've also noticed even though the company is in the defense industry they are shrinking in manpower. I've heard of problems in other areas also. When the bullies take over, it's usually a sign that the company is in decline. I've worked more than 30 years and have seen this style of corporate culture kill the goose that laid the golden egg too many times not to recognize it when it is happening.
So I side with you: fire the AH's at the first complaint... no amount of discussion and "retraining" a manager gets will change the narcissistic manager into a congenial healthy coworker. I personally believe a corporation is a living entity ... when it has a disease it needs surgery. Nine times out of ten, the demise of a good company is the lower level managers who have lost sight of what it takes to be a googan!
Thanks!
July 16, 2007 7:59 AMwe would like to know more that companies
October 30, 2007 4:35 PMThis is so well written and so important!! Any workplace seems to have one asshole who should be fired--but seems to survive. It is so easy to find something good about every worker that this person could do wonders by making others feel good about themselves. It makes you wonder about the boss when he (or she) keeps this negative, nasty person on the payroll!
October 31, 2007 10:31 AMthanks for the GREAT post! Very useful...
November 21, 2007 2:51 PMHow do you cope with nosy people at work?
April 13, 2008 4:12 AMThe only way to prevent workplace bullying is to hold the bully legally liable. They'll stop when they know they can be sued for it. They would rape and/or beat targets too if there weren't laws against it.
If you're a US citizen, please sign the Anti-bullying Healthy Workplace Bill petition: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/anti-bullying-healthy-workplace-bill.html
If you're a UK citizen, please sign the 08Bullying petition: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/08Bullying
Please pass the link/s onto your friends, post on your websites, in forums, whatever you can do so that no one ever has to be subjected to psychological violence at work.
Thank you!
November 17, 2008 1:42 PMLaws need to be in place to prevent this behavior.
December 25, 2009 2:01 PM
