When the Harvard Business Review asked Robert Sutton for
suggestions for its annual list of Breakthrough Ideas, he told them
that the best business practice he knew of was ''the no asshole
rule''. Sutton''s piece became one of the most popular articles ever
to appear in the HBR. Spurred on by the fear and despair that
people expressed, the tricks they used to survive with dignity in
asshole-infested places, the revenge stories that made him laugh
out loud and the other small wins that they celebrated against
mean-spirited people, Sutton was persuaded to write THE NO ASSHOLE
RULE. He believes passionately that civilised workplaces are not a
naive dream, that they do exist, do bolster performance and that
widespread contempt can be erased and replaced with mutual respect
when a team or organisation is managed right. There is a huge
temptation by executives and those in positions of authority to
overlook this trait especially when exhibited by so-called
producers, but Sutton shows how overall productivity suffers when
the workplace is subjected to this kind of stress.
關於作者:
Robert Sutton is a Professor of Management Science and
Engineering at Stanford University. He is the author of several
business books and is also a frequent guest on radio and television
shows in the US.