The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't Audio CD – Abridged, September 1, 2010

Bob Sutton's veryy readable and well-researched book, "The No A-hole Rule," comes right to the point: we know who these people are, we work with them every day, many of them are our bosses, let's call them by the name we all know: A-holes.These are the folks, mostly managers but they can be your co-workers, who demean and damage those with less power. These are the employees who ingratiate themselves upward, and kick anyone below who seems "irrelevant." They are forceful, nasty, obnoxious and often underhanded, spreading their poison in subtle or obvious ways. However they do it, they leave a trail of oppressed, humiliated and de-energized subordinates. They aren't worth the trouble, Sutton argues.Sutton's argument is laid out in no-nonsense terms: a-holes cost money, demoralize staff and turn off customers. Research shows, Sutton writes, that companies cannot afford even top performers (for example, top dollar-generating salespeople) who are a-holes because the actual cost (TCA = Total Cost of A-holes) must be viewed in terms of what it costs the company in turnover, lost sales and lost productivity in the remaining staff who are forced to spend a lot of time avoiding or protecting themselves from a-holes.Sutton's advice: Get rid of them. Failing that, at least don't let them on search committees because they breed like rabbits.Although this book is gaining traction through its appealing message and highly contagious name, Sutton, a Stanford professor of management science and engineering, has not written a book that should be considered "trendy," even though its time has surely come. This is sound, real-life advice, based on research, that I believe will stand the test of time.If you're thinking of hiring an a-hole, if you work with or under an a-hole or two or three (a "den of a-holes," as Sutton so aptly describes such workplaces), if you think you might be an a-hole, this book is for you. It's filled with advice for everyone, including who not to hire in an a-hole's place (wimps and polite clones need not apply).I'm so glad Sutton had the courage to write this book. It needed to be said, and said in a way that people can understand. I have applied its concepts and am trying to spread his message at the company where I work, which was once ruled by a major a-hole, who hired and promoted a bunch of clones. That president is now gone, but his "residue" lingers. The new president is far more enlightened, and there is hope that he might establish the No A-hole Rule here.Another book very worth reading that has a similar message is  The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing that Changes Everything  by Stephen M.R. Covey. Covey also argues, in no uncertain terms, that bad people should not be in management, and that you will lose money and time if you don't create an atmosphere of trust.

I highly recommend this book for employees or work teams who find themselves struggling to maintain energy and focus on the job because of the destructive behavior of one or more individuals. This book is a quick read - I finished it in one weekend. It should also become required reading for HR departments and leadership teams who have struggled to preserve a positive and efficient corporate culture.Dr. Sutton provides an analytical approach, guidance for calculating costs, and a pro-active approach that can improve the workplace for the sake of the company, work groups and individual contributors.This book goes beyond the usual coverage for bullies and hostile environments that describe the fairly obvious results, the legal limitations, and recommended rapid exit strategies for individuals who are in the midst of it all.Dr. Sutton bravely asserts that this problem does not have to continue and spread throughout the organization. He provides practical and rational insight for making changes that focus on positive results for the company and the employees.I especially like the simple diagnostic question about the impact the individual has on the energy levels of those around them.After 15 years of success with fabulous bosses and a minimal/manageable amount of exposure to @#$holes, I found out why other people I knew did not love their jobs the way I had in the past when I started working for a bully.Being proactive and determined to succeed, I searched for answers to questions like - How can I manage this situation better? How can I find ways to be more effective and less reactive under these circumstances? How can I shield my team and try to be a catalyst for change in this department? What are the most important results that I need to focus on and manage?I was discouraged to find other material that I read on bullies and hostile environments, concluded the bullies always "win" - that the jerk would persevere and often expand their influence. The targets and others impacted generally had 3 choices, accept and adopt the practices, become apathetic and do the minimum to get by spending a large percentage of time doing CYA or leave the department or the company. The books also spent a lot of time focusing on different legal positions.This book provides hope that you can survive and impact change without a lawsuit. I wish everyone who is dealing with an #$%hole the courage, stamina, and good fortune to improve the situation.

This is the mantra of our firm and it is due to the fact that I read this book many years ago and really appreciated how it put the feelings I had in print. When I started my own professional services firm, I decided to follow its philosophy in my new organization, which has now expanded across North America and Europe. I have also given the book to many client partners who have raved about it and made changes within their organizations AND more importantly, I have given them to other clients (not partner clients) with whom I have decided not to work with anymore because of who they are...because when you own your own business, you can easily do that. It's a great feeling!

Gostei muito desse livro, faz vc parar e pensar que nao precisa aceitar m!@¨& de qualquer pessoa e não deve agir como eles.

I wish I could have read this book earlier in life! Simple brilliant!

Refreshingly honest, simple, and funny! A book pretty much everyone can relate to and a very effective therapy tool for anyone who spent too much time down A*** Avenue. In a business world where we are taught to refrain from criticism and suppress any negative feelings about our work environment, this book provides a much needed confirmation that A***s do exist and being surrounded by them can kill us (as well as business results) a little every day. Apart from the option to walk away, this book may give the courage to the well intentioned, constructive people in an A*** infested organization to stand by each other and eventually uncover these destructive characters and put an end to their game.

I loved this book. Practical and entertaining advice about how to deal with weenies, as I call them. I had a weenie that I kept longer than I should have, which actually helped me define my company's culture. Absolutely more of these are getting in and thanks to this book I know how to spot and handle them.