Professionalism
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The Jerk at Work
March 05, 2007
Whenever a new professional enters the workforce, we recommend the employee work hard to fit into the particular culture into which they’ve been hired. Unfortunately, some cultures are “toxic,” and where a new hire finds himself or herself in such an environment, they should consider moving on sooner rather than later.
What do I mean by a “toxic” environment? Bad workplaces may demonstrate themselves in a variety of manners, but none is more apparent, and in many ways, more demoralizing to a new professional, than a workplace headed up by certifiable “jerk” boss. I’ve been an employee and remember well working for someone who I thought was an absolute jerk. I’ve also been a boss, one who came to realize long after I had made a particular comment that it had cut deep and in ways I had never intended.
Robert Sutton, a Stanford University professor, has recently published a book on jerks at work, “The No ***hole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One that Isn’t.” He identifies a dozen actions that the typical jerk boss may employ, including:
- Personal insults
- Invading one’s personal territory
- Uninvited personal contact
- Threats and intimidation, both verbal and nonverbal
- Sarcastic jokes and teasing used as an insult-delivery system
- Withering e-mail flames
- Status slaps intended to humiliate their victims
- Public shaming or status-degradation rituals
- Rude interruptions
- Two-faced attacks
- Dirty looks
- Treating people as if they are invisible
I agree with Sutton that firms, companies and organizations that turn a blind eye to bosses who employ these behaviors run the risk of ruining office morale. Sutton goes so far as to encourage employers to adopt a “no jerk” rule. And he warns that jerk behavior is contagious—permit one jerk manager and employers will soon find entire layers of management filled with jerks.
If, as an employee, you feel you’ve been the victim of a jerk, ask yourself if the bad act was a one time event or a part of a pattern of events. If it’s the latter, bring the pattern to the attention of your human resources department. By doing so, you may save yourself and other employees from future withering attacks.
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