The No Asshole Rule
At the very beginning of the book, the author explains why he decides to write this book: because most of us, unfortunately, have to deal with assholes in our workplaces at one time or another.
All stated with a small piece written for Harvard Business Review that started with a true life story: when the author started to work as a teacher, during a faculty meeting at Stanford University he heard of ‘the no asshole rule’ about how to avoid nasty people at work, and a few years later he suggested that idea for HBR’s annual list of ‘Breakthrough Ideas.’… expecting a “No, thank you” answer due to the mild obscenity, however nobody refuses to use the word, and finally the 8-pages, original article was published in the magazine. After that, he received an even bigger surprise in the way of emails, requesting for interviews, phone calls, and press inquiries
In front of so many reactions he decided to write the book, and in his own words:
- I was convinced to write The No Asshole Rule by the fear and despair that people expressed to me, the tricks they used to survive with dignity in asshole-infested places, the revenge stories that made me laugh out loud, and the other small wins that they celebrated against mean-spirited people.
After to decide to read the entire book, take in consideration two points, first the questions for recognition an asshole person:
- Test One: After talking to the alleged asshole, does the ‘target’ feel oppressed, humiliated, de-energised, or belittled by the person? In particular, does the target feel worse about him or herself?
- Test Two: Does the alleged asshole aim his or her venom at people who are less powerful rather than at those people who are more powerful?
And second, the common everyday actions that A Holes use:
- Personal insults
- Invading one’s personal territory
- Uninvited personal contact
- Threats and intimidation, both verbal and non-verbal
- Sarcastic jokes and teasing used as insult delivery systems
- Withering email flames
- Status slaps intended to humiliate their victims
- Public shaming or status degradation rituals
- Rude interruptions
- Two-faced attacks
- Dirty looks
- Treating people as if they are invisible
If your answers are in the most part affirmative you are in the presence of A Hole, and unfortunately and hopely, this book is for you.
It is a very sparkling, fast, fun (why management can not be fun?) about how to recognize and survive an A Hole boss.
As audio book, the narrator is funny, for moments even comic, entertaining and turns into an interesting book into an even more interesting and easy to listen using an audiobook.