No As**ole Rule & how NOT to be one!

Professor Robert Sutton of Stanford University shared a fascinating idea on the “No Asshole” rule on 50Lessons.com. There is a nice lesson summary on how to avoid working with, hiring, or managing the situations that create disharmony in the workforce. This is all very nice and true, however it is rather “extro-spective”. What if the disharmony is every person feeling it is “their” entitlement to be “the token asshole”? In the company of 2 or 3 really qualified professionals, who gets to stay? The best? The worst? The most indifferent, or the most caring?
I love situations that make you think.. Professor Sutton’s interview certainly did! “Organic” culture is a sort of trusting that whatever “distasteful” material exists is offset by it’s productive good. I favor a more proactive culture– one that is a bit organic with a balance of introspection. The asshole we see in others is often an opportunity to improve our selves.. and sometimes, it has absolutely nothing to do with us.

Indifference is a practical art in productivity, but extended indifference I feel in leadership or team work, is largely impractical. Taken to the greatest extreme, what if the indifference results in you being an asshole.. and thus the asshole you wish to avoid is you!

What are your thoughts in maintaining a healthy balance of responsible self, rational leader, and a respective workforce?

You shouldn’t allow staff to get away with anti-social or ‘oddball’ behavior, as such behavior is likely to cause office conflict.

There is an argument for allowing just one ‘asshole’ in your office based on deviance studies. These cite that the presence of one such individual leaves everybody else is better off, as they see how not to behave.

There will be situations in your working life when it may be necessary to be indifferent and learn not to care.