Tom Guarriello walks through Bob Sutton's Dirty Dozen list of toxic workplace behaviors and two tests for spotting an asshole boss. Sixty to seventy percent of employees say their boss is the worst part of their job. He asks whether your organization tolerates this and what it costs.
Hi, it's Tom Guarriello. Beautiful day here in Connecticut, and I wanted to ask you guys a question today about work. You know, I do a lot of consulting with organizations, all different kinds of organizations, and recently there's been a good deal of attention paid to leaders and the kind of behavior that many of us have had experience with from bosses, leaders, and that is, well, let's call it impolite. Let's call it offensive. Let's call it toxic. Let's call the leaders Let's, let's say that the leaders who lead in this way might get called something like what this book is trying to legislate against. It's a book by Bob Sutton. As you can see, the book's called The No Asshole Rule. Subtitle is Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving one that isn't. I'll give you a quick couple of ideas from the book in a second. This week's New York Magazine, you see the COVID story there, Office Life. And of course, The Office, the British— originally British and now American version sitcom— has some pretty funny takes on leadership as well. And, um, let me just read you one quick sentence from the New York Magazine article. Um, in the real world, bosses are known to suffer from a long list of so— social pathologies: naked aggression, credit hogging, micromanaging, bullying, you name it. According to one report, 60 to 70% of employees— it doesn't matter the organization— say the worst aspect of their job is their boss. Hmm. Now, in Sutton's book, he has a quick, let's call it a kind of a, let's call it a checklist for determining whether or not you belong on the COVID of this book or someone that you know does. He calls them the Dirty Dozen. Common everyday actions that assholes use. Here they go. 1. Personal insults. 2. Invading one's personal territory. 3. Uninvited physical contact. 4. Threats and intimidation, both verbal and nonverbal. 5. "Sarcastic jokes." And quote teasing, unquote, used as insult delivery systems. 6, withering email flames. 7, status slaps intended to humiliate their victims. 8, public shaming or, quote, status degradation, unquote, rituals. 9, rude interruptions. 10, two-faced attacks. 11, dirty looks, and 12, treating people as if they are invisible. And those, uh, dirty dozen really all add up to what Sutton calls the two big tests, and here they are. Test 1: after talking to the alleged asshole, does the, quote, target, unquote, feel oppressed, humiliated, de-energized, or belittled by the person? In particular, does the target feel worse about him or herself? Test 2: Does the alleged asshole aim his or her venom at people who are less powerful rather than at those people who are more powerful? Now, I don't know about you, but I've seen plenty of those Dirty Dozen used in my career as a management consultant, and I've known a lot of managers who could pass those two tests. Boy, they are, uh, actually, their pictures should be in here. Anyway, my question for you is, what do you think about that? What's happening in the workplace? Are you at a place in your workplace where this kind of behavior is still tolerated? Is it not tolerated? Do people nod and wink at the people who qualify for this asshole test? Do they get promoted What do you think? Are we at a time where those things are changing? I'm interested in your thoughts about what's happening in the workplace with the kind of behavior that we're talking about here. So, uh, take it easy and I'll see you guys again soon. Bye.
