CommPost

Friday, January 04, 2008

FOR THOSE WHO SUFFER...

From (of all places) the Ottawa Xpress:

January 3rd, 2008 Education & Employment: No assholes allowed
Darn dickheads! Marie-Claude Marsolais, translated by Isa Tousignant

Robert Sutton: "There are so many people whose daily lives are ruined by know-it-alls and idiots" photo: Craig Morey Manipulative assholes, condescending bitches... our workplaces are infested! At least that's what Robert Sutton suggests in his new book, The No Asshole

RuleRobert Sutton is a management prof at Stanford University's management sciences
department. And he doesn't suffer fools gladly.

"There are so many people whose daily lives are ruined by know-it-alls and idiots," says the author of The No Asshole Rule on the phone from his home in California. "Since my book came out, I'm constantly surprised by all the emails and phone calls I get from people who suffer because of their jobs."

Working for an asshole - to use Sutton's terminology - or even having one or two as colleagues can have very negative effects. "It makes people anxious and sick. Assholes drain their victims' energy, not to mention their self-esteem," he says.

But the worst thing, according to Sutton, is the vicious circle it can create. "It makes you mean and it drains the humanity out of everyone. The victims get mad and that encourages revenge and insults. It's unhealthy for oneself and for others."

IT'S CONTAGIOUS!

In other words: beware. The asshole illness in as catchy as the flu! So in order to analyze whether you're part of the clan, Sutton provides a set of questions in his book, including:
- Do you feel that you're surrounded by incompetent idiots, to the extent than you can't help yourself from letting them know at every possible occasion?

- Were you a nice person before you began working with said bunch of idiots?

- Do you secretly enjoy the pain of others?
Avoiding the bug
If you've managed to avoid becoming an asshole thus far, make sure you stay protected against the virus. The master rule: "You must avoid assholes!" exclaims Sutton. "You have to learn to spot them and avoid them. Before taking a job, the best thing is to find out as best you can what atmosphere reigns in that workplace."

Easier said than done, you may think. However, if you can't afford the luxury of turning down employment, even if a place is teeming with assholes, Sutton suggests you act indifferent. "The best thing is to ignore attacks or mean looks. In work environments, passion is praised, but we should also praise indifference. It can take you far in life."

So at your next meeting, make yourself emotionally untouchable by the comments that victimize you. It'll be your key to after-work sanity.

CAN YOU BE A GOOD ASSHOLE?

Of course, there are two sides to every story. In his book Sutton also suggests tricks to be an efficient asshole, because he doesn't deny it: "The sad thing is that yes, sometimes it's useful to act like an asshole. It can help you gain power, beat your rivals..."

So if you choose to be an asshole in some circumstances, you might as well do it right! Sutton's tricks:

- You want to climb the ranks? Be witty and arrogant. You won't surpass your colleagues with a sad or pathetic outlook.

- Alternate between sarcastic remarks and compliments. It's a great way to keep your adversaries on their toes.

- Once you're management, build yourself a good cop/bad cop team. If you're the bad cop, the other can console and calm your victims. This will ingratiate them to your good cop, making them likely to do the good cop favours - so that at the end of the day, they do exactly what you want.

- That being said, remember: Being a full-time asshole isn't recommended for anybody. You must know when to stop humiliating your victims. In short, don't take too much pleasure in it, or you risk feeling the wrath of a bigger asshole than you. So goes the rule of the jungle.

The No Asshole Rule

By Robert Sutton (Warner Business Books), 224 pp.

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THE 12 DIRTY TRICKS OF A TYPICAL ASSHOLE, ACCORDING TO ROBERT SUTTON
1. Assholes lob insults
2. They invade personal space
3. They impose unwanted physical contact
4. They make threats and attempt to intimidate, verbally and non-verbally
5. They make rude comments in the guise of jokes and teasing
6. They send inappropriate emails
7. They criticize their peers' social and professional status
8. They seek to humiliate by making public scenes
9. They constantly interrupt
10. They make hypocritical arguments
11. They give mean and accusatory looks
12. They treat people as if they were invisible

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