The No Asshole Rule
Here’s a book I think every CEO and HR person should likely read: The No Asshole Rule
It’s just what you think it is: A breakdown of how assholes in the workplace, far from being the big rainmakers or motivators they’re sometimes perceived as being, actually hurt the bottom line.
Author Bob Sutton — a smartypants Harvard Business Review columnist, so maybe his ideas will gain some traction — is an online kind of guy, whose son plays World of Warcraft, so his blog is full of discussions of how online businesses — guilds — exemplify a lot of the stuff he’s talking about.
Everyone who’s played an MMORPG, either in a hardcore raiding guild, or simply knowing people who are in one, knows all about the yelling, demeaning, nasty raid leader. Not surprisingly, most of these outfits fall apart the moment the members feel like there’s another viable alternative out there. But so many members are so indoctrinated that they think that sort of thing is necessary to success in the raiding game that they just find another dysfunctional outfit and repeat the process until they finally quit the game in exhaustion.
(In my EverQuest guild, and to a lesser extent in my WoW guild, I myself was known for barking orders a bit, but I tried to make sure to keep it targeted on issues, not personalities, and to be generous — and specific — with praise when it was appropriate.)
If anyone in the newspaper industry who ever has or feels like they’re likely to hire me at some point would like a free copy of this book, just e-mail me. It’ll be money well spent.
You can listen to the interview or read the full transcript of the Marketplace interview with Bob Sutton here.
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I searched around Bob Sutton’s blog for other references to MMOs and it’s actually really neat to see people taking guild mechanics so seriously.
Comment by Jeff Hamilton — March 7, 2007 @ 17:03
I’m less of a freak than you all thought!
Comment by Beau — March 7, 2007 @ 18:07
That’s a pretty bold statement to make.
Comment by Jeff Hamilton — March 7, 2007 @ 20:07
Don’t believe a word he says about limiting his barking to issues – I’m still in therapy from the last time we did a raid and I wouldn’t hold his… No, it’s just too painful to remember.
Comment by Jonathan — March 8, 2007 @ 8:17
The hot new pop culture business book of the season features World of Warcraft. It’s like we’re living in a Verhoven movie.
Snarkiness aside, it does sound like an interesting read. Examining the differences (and/or similiarities) to every day interpersonal dynamics could make for an interesting read. Heh, this will probably be a funny book to leave on the desk at work.
Comment by f. chong rutherfod — March 9, 2007 @ 20:39
You would never leave the house again if you started playing WoW, Fred.
Comment by Beau — March 10, 2007 @ 0:53