Dewey Decimal Project: 650.13 S

[rsadelle]

Last month I read Robert Sutton's The No Asshole Rule, which is about assholes in the workplace. Sutton has a specific two-part test for "spotting whether a person is acting like an asshole:

• Test One: After talking to the alleged asshole, does the 'target' feel oppressed, humiliated, de-energized, 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."

He also differentiates between the "temporary asshole" who acts like this sometimes and the "certified asshole" who does this over and over again.

I really liked the first half of the book where he details the damage assholes do to companies, how to keep them out, and how not to be one. I was not as excited about the part where he suggests strategies for surviving a workplace with assholes. Some of his strategies are mean and not at all strength-based, which is not my preference.

The writing is good, though, and I like Sutton's overall attitude. I would definitely recommend this if you are a manager or if you work with assholes, and I would consider reading more by Sutton.