No Assholes Allowed
Posted on April 10, 2008 in Books, Leadership, News by beafields
Did I get your attention with the title?
Good. I hope so.
In the book The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t, author Robert Sutton goes into a concise view of the jerks we have in many of our organizations around the country. He discusses corporate bullying, manipulation and control and gives some great advice on how to stop it. The sad thing is that in reading his book, I know a few people just like this, and I get e-mails occasionally from a few who I would never want to work with. It makes me sweat just thinking about it.
This post is one of the most important you are going to read this week. In light of what happened recently in Florida with a few teen girls beating up another girl (who by the way had been bullied and beat up by these girls for months), I have to take a stand and tell you this “Stop taking orders or working for/with a bully!” If we don’t stop it now, this is going to continue forever, and these corporate bullies are the people who are teaching our teens to go beat the s— out of another teen. I am so fired up about this story…it makes me sick!
Here are the signs that you are probably being bullied at work:
1) You are working day and night, only to be criticized by your boss or manager
2) You are being intentionally left out of meetings or social engagements with co-workers
3) You are hearing gossip about you from your work colleagues
4) You wake up in the morning, nauseated and with a headache, and you call in sick more than you know you should
5) You are doing work for your boss, and he/she is taking credit for your ideas and labor
6) You are noticing that you are being sabotaged at every turn
7) You can cut the tension with a knife
8)Your boss/manager is constantly asking you to work an ungodly schedule
So…if you are someone who is experiencing this, then please, please ask for help. And by all means, get out of the environment. Let’s put an end to this madness now!
This needed to be addressed… Spending 12 years in Corporate Sales I saw my share of bullying on the job. I never experienced it personally because I always spoke my mind regardless of potential consequences. I understand for most that is hard to do especially in fear of losing their jobs but stand up for yourself because in my opinion the best way to handle a bully is smack them right back in their mouth (Not literally but you know what I mean)
Eric Green AKA
The Digital Gangster
P.S. Let me know if you would like the Asshole to get global coverage I can hook you up!!!
Comment by Eric Green — April 10, 2008 @ 5:04 pm
If we had universal health care in the States, people wouldn’t feel the need to stay at their jobs. I think a lot of people endure bullshit because they have benefits to lose that could jeopardize their families. It is harder still when the society around you rewards bullying and humiliating the weak for entertainment and treasure (or oil). I wasn’t really surprised to hear of a story of teen girl violence - for years teen girls inflicted their rage on their own bodies through eating disorders and cutting - now they are learning to act out like the boys their age and unlesah their frustration on their fellow woman.
Comment by Andy Wibbels — April 10, 2008 @ 5:23 pm
Wow what a valid point. I think it is sad that there are people out there that feel they need to be big by making others feel small, and I feel it makes them really look sad and pathetic as well as show thier true nature and character. What I really can’t stand are those people that call themselves “mentoring” people when they have an agenda, or want to cause harm in someway to another professional which isn’t professional or nuturing at all.
Hey we all know it is a dog eat dog world, but for those of us who do not consider ourselves dogs- we should first treat ourselves with the respect we feel we deserve and expect the same from others that we involve ourselves with. If not- life is too short- and sometimes you just gotta let it and them go.
Comment by Mari Moss — April 10, 2008 @ 6:18 pm
This is important. It’s amazing but your company will probably run better and cut costs if you dont bully. There have been many business owners I know who can pay their employees less because they treat them with such respect and acknowledge their good works. People respond to this stuff, being an asshole is a very short term gain if any at all. Good post!
Comment by Arel Moodie — April 14, 2008 @ 12:40 am