Everybody’s talking about The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t (me, too), but many top people don’t believe that it’s really possible to jerk-proof a company, saying that they’ve tried it and it doesn’t work.

If you believe that, you’re wrong. More likely, it didn’t work for one, or a combination, of the following:

• The program didn’t start with the CEO; the CEO wasn’t really committed to it; or the CEO was the root of the problem.
• The program wasn’t comprehensive enough.
• When efforts to help the jerk change failed and termination was required, management wimped out, rolled over, and did nothing.
• Management allowed the messenger to be killed, i.e., the jerk prospered and the whistleblower paid the price.
• The commitment wasn’t deep enough to sustain it for the long haul.

The McKinsey Quarterly published an excerpt (requires free registration) that should convince anyone who isn’t a jerk him/herself. Here are a few points that should get your attention.

“Nasty interactions have a far bigger impact on the mood of people who experience them than positive interactions do… The researchers found that negative interactions affected the moods of these employees five times more strongly than positive ones.”

Not surprising, it’s the same mindset that makes us want to return our new outfit when five people compliment us and one says it’s terrible.

“…when CEOs come across as bullies, they can scare their investors as well as their underlings.”

Think Robert L. Nardelli and Home Depot.

“At the workplaces that enforce the no-jerks rule most vehemently and effectively, an employee’s performance and treatment of others aren’t seen as separate things. Phrases like “talented jerk,” “brilliant bastard,” or “a bully and a superstar” are oxymorons. Jerks are dealt with immediately: they quickly realize (or are told) that they have blown it, apologize, reflect on their nastiness, ask for forgiveness, and work to change their ways. Repeat offenders aren’t ignored or forgiven again and again—they change or depart.”

“Talking about the rules is just the first step; the real test happens when someone acts like a jerk. If people don’t feel comfortable blowing the whistle on the offender, your company will both be seen as hypocritical and fill up with jerks, so don’t adopt the rule unless you mean it.”

Make no mistake, this isn’t some feel-good concept dreamed up by your HR or PR department.

From start to forever, a no-jerk company is created and sustained by the CEO.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 3rd, 2007 at 11:01 am and is filed under Business info, Communication, Culture, Hiring, Leadership, Motivation, Retention. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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