The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't

by Robert I. Sutton

Book Overview

The definitive guide to working with -- and surviving -- bullies, creeps, jerks, tyrants, tormentors, despots, backstabbers, egomaniacs, and all the other assholes who do their best to destroy you at work.

"What an asshole "

How many times have you said that about someone at work? You're not alone In this groundbreaking book, Stanford University professor Robert I. Sutton builds on his acclaimed Harvard Business Review article...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446698202
• ISBN13: 9780446698207
• Release Date: September 2010
• Publisher: Balance
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Fix your workplace

This book has clearly struck a cord, for good reason: it's an important book about an important topic. People are tired of having their workplaces poisoned by the behavior of a few a-holes. I know Bob through Stanford so I admit that I may be biased, but I know lots of people who have written management books and haven't endorsed them. Bob has thought deeply about this topic as a researcher, teacher, and expert on organizations. The book is not only wise, it's a pleasure to read. Bob is great at taking solid research and making it relevant and fun. Here are three reasons to buy this book: 1) Understand your workplace. This book weaves together front-line academic research on why powerful people behave badly, how workplaces can become toxic, and why bad behavior spreads like a virus (but optimism can as well). 2) Fix your workplace. For anyone who has put up with nasty bosses and demeaning coworkers, this book shows you how organizations ranging from law firms to retail stores, from JetBlue to Google, have protected their employees from bad behavior. 3) Change your interactions. This book shows you how to avoid being a victim of a-holes in your workplace and community. It also helps you recognize when you might be the a-hole, and gives you hints on how to achieve your goals without lapsing into bad behavior. Bob has the reputation among students and faculty of being one of the nicest people at our university and he works in a group of researchers that has the reputation of being an extremely supportive place for graduate students. Universities often breed arrogant behavior, so Bob's reputation (and that of his group) testifies to his ability to put ideas into practice. This book will help you and your organization.

very good

Although I have only read the first three chapters, I am a believer!! It really is golden for all of us because at one time or another we'll have to survive one of these workplaces. I wish I had this book to read when I was in that type of workplace. I wouldn't have suffered as much as I did, and would have had concrete methods of how to handle situations. Also, don't let the somewhat abrasive A** title deter you from reading this book. It kept me away from picking up this book to read it at first. This book also has the potential of being cathartic for those who have had to survive a horrible workplace environment. I too worked in a toxic environment with an insensitive, demeaning and oppressive boss. Every criticism was passive-agressive so it took me some time to realize my slowly deteriorating capacity to serve. She would talk down to my administrative associate and myself to keep us in the "place" she thought we should be. When we did things to better our project and make it the best it could be or provide helpful suggestions, she would accuse me of wanting all the "control"...(yeah, it was a nightmare!!!) This books speaks to that kind of paranioa in the workplace and that sometimes not matter how much you love a job, some can make it unbearable. This book helped me realize that I do/did not have unrealistic expectations of what a quality supervisor should be. It's "hammer meet nail" kind of material.

A Simple, but Extremely Valuable Premise!

I'll make my review brief, since this is a little book with a very concise point. Basically, life is far too short to tolerate jerks in the workplace. It's easy to spot these people based upon the havoc they wreak and the fact that they always choose targets with less power than themselves. This book provides terrific strategies for dealing with jerks, whether you are in management and want to weed them out, or are unfortunate enough to be working under them. One of my favorite lines in the book is: " Passion is an overrated virtue in organizational life, and indifference is an underrated virtue." While self-professed management gurus who have never had a real job like to trumpet passion in the workplace (and implicitly accept jerk-like behavior), Dr. Sutton points out that sometimes a bit of detachment goes a long way in making life bearable. This is a book about picking your battles and doing what you can to make your workplace enjoyable. It is a quick, interesting and easy read.

An Excellent Must-Read for Anyone in the Workforce

I am not one who typically reviews books. I do have to say that the No A**hole Rule was an excellent book both in researched content and personality. I was able to read this book in one sitting. It is very topical for anyone who shares a workplace with A**holes or demeaning people. I am sure that most of us do not have the luxury of avoiding these people on a day to day basis. If so, let me know where you work ?. For the most part, it is inevitable that we have to deal with these people face to face. This is the first book that doesn't skirt around the facts of diagnosing these people as a**holes (by there actions) and giving effective advice on how to deal with them or not be one of them. Bob Sutton's List of The Dirty Dozen Common Everyday Actions That A**holes Use 1. Personal insults 2. Invading one's personal territory 3. Uninvited personal contact 4. Threats and intimidation, both verbal and non-verbal 5. Sarcastic jokes and teasing used as insult delivery systems 6. Withering email flames 7. Status slaps intended to humiliate their victims 8. Public shaming or status degradation rituals 9. Rude interruptions 10. Two-faced attacks 11. Dirty looks 12. Treating people as if they are invisible The Author sites companies that have effectively instilled a "No A**hole Rule" because they have realized that the true cost of the A**hole runs deeper than the A**hole's salary (TCA or Total Cost of A**holes). It truly can diminish productivity in the office, increase employee turnover, stifle communication, and lower employee self esteem and health. The book explains how to implement a No A**hole Rule at any organization. According to the book, negative interactions have a five time stronger effect on mood than positive interactions. So you can see that keeping around that "very productive A**hole" may have deeper implications that do not show up on the books, but take a toll on the ones around him/her. There is a whole section in the book detailing how to avoid being an A**hole which I won't get into here. I think that it is a truly insightful section on how to face ones own demons, and to be a more effective co-worker/partner/boss in a work environment. The section that really jumped out for me (due to its immediate applicability) was the ways to deal with A**holes. Many books talk about enthusiasm and working harder with passion allows you to get around people who are demeaning and rude at work. This book explains that this is not necessarily the head on solution to avoid rudeness in the workplace. In some instances, developing indifference and emotional detachment may be the best way to survive in the long run while achieving small victories. In the end, small victories can lead to winning the war. You can also limit your exposure, hope for the best and expect the worse, de-escalate and re-educate, or stand up to A**holes. In conclusion, this was a great read. I think it is extremely topical for anyone who is in