I
still get perhaps 20 emails a week from people about the challenges and triumphs
of dealing with workplace assholes. I try to respond to each, but
don’t print most of them because I know that readers of this blog aren’t
interested in reading about all assholes all the time, and I would be
bored to tears too if that was all I ever wrote about. But every now and then I get a note that is
just wonderful and feel compelled to share it.
Today, I got one of my favorite notes ever, from Colleen Stovall, who is
the Producing Artistic Director at Shakespeare Miami – which enforces the no
asshole rule. I usually don’t print
emails verbatim, but Colleen’s note is so good that I don’t want to deprive you
of any of it. Here it is:
Dear
Dr. Sutton:
I have worked with attorneys in the past and witnessed firsthand what unchecked
aggression and bad behavior can do to morale and performance. Many years ago I
was brought in to cover maternity leave for a legal secretary who worked for a
"screamer". I was in despair and ready to quit until I realized that
I had nothing to lose. I walked into his office and calmly told the screamer
that the first time he raised his voice to me I would erase his hard drive. I
thought I would be fired on the spot, but strangely, he agreed. From then on
all it took was a raised eyebrow. Life at work became much better for both of
us.
Behavior in the theater can easily become very destructive. Directors routinely
turn a blind eye to bad behavior in the name of nurturing or retaining top
talent. Some talented actors think that to be a "real" leading actor,
they need to behave like jerks. This attitude can become destructive and
quickly poison the morale of an entire cast. Anyone applying for a position
with Shakespeare Miami is not only told about our "No Assholes" rule,
they are required to sign an agreement to abide by it. It is posted on our
website: www.shakespearemiami.com
What We're Looking For in Actors Ensemble (the French word for
"together")
We
choose to work with talented, entertainers who are NICE people who get along
with fellow actors and crew. We want
people who make it a pleasure for a director to have you on their stage. We are
looking for parts of a whole, people who can function well as a team. Following the advice of the Harvard Review of New Management Techniques', we
are committed to the ideas in the award winning book by Bob Sutton "The No
Assholes Rule". In order to create a creative, healthy work environment
where talent is recognized, young people are mentored and actors can feel
challenged to learn and to polish their craft, we have instituted an active, committed
and strongly enforced "No Assholes" rule in our company. For more
information on this management technique, to buy his award winning book or to take
the test to see if you qualify….see Bob's webpage: www.bobsutton.typepad.com
I just wanted you to know that it really works. Thanks so much.
Sincerely,
Colleen Stovall
Producing Artistic Director
Shakespeare Miami
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