The No Asshole Rule
Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t
About the book
Robert I. Sutton, a Stanford professor, expanded an essay for the Harvard Business Review into a book after it drew more than a thousand emails and testimonies. His theme is that workplace bullies damage morale and productivity, and he proposes a rule for screening them out. Two tests identify the offender: whether people leave an encounter feeling oppressed or humiliated, and whether the person targets those with less power. Sutton lists a Dirty Dozen of behaviors, from insults and sarcasm to snubbing, and separates temporary offenders from persistent ones. He cites research on the costs of abusive bosses but cautions that companies still need people willing to argue constructively. Sales passed 115,000 copies, and it won a Quill Award.
Ronn Torossian, chief executive of 5W PR, made it required reading for everyone at his firm and said its seemingly obvious idea is hard for many people to follow.
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This book has 1 recommendation
Ronn Torossian (CEO, Founder/5W PR)
PR is notoriously a hard industry to succeed in. And as an entrepreneur, it’s really hard -
and sometimes you have to make decisions that are not always easy but best for the company. A great book — necessary reading for everyone at 5WPR — is the great business book, The No Asshole Rule. The book’s theory, while seemingly obvious, is quite difficult to adhere to for many people – learn to cut your losses. We’ve had to resign clients when they no longer fit our business. It’s an unfortunate reality that you must eliminate aspects of your business that are no longer serving your mission.
One can be tough without being an asshole. A key lesson in business, and in life.
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