The No Asshole Rule in One Company: A Simple Decision-Tree

I recently posted an updated version  of People and Places that Use The No Asshole Rule.  In that spirit, a group of students in my class Organizational Behavior: An Evidence-Based Approach did a little case study of how a local start-up (with about 150 people now) is sustaining a civilized workplace.  I liked this simple decision-tree as it captures much of the essence of how to enforce the rule — assuming they actually use this rather than just talk about it!

Jerk Decision Tree

Comments

32 responses to “The No Asshole Rule in One Company: A Simple Decision-Tree”

  1. Ellie Avatar

    Fine, I suppose, but it seems a little unfair that the ordinary Joe doesn’t get the chance to change as well. After all, the average folk just doing their jobs are tremendously important to a company and I feel everyone should get one strike.
    It’s fair, I suppose, that whether you are a superstar or not should govern how high you climb or the size or your bonus, but it seems somewhat irrelevant to a persons capacity for change. As long as they aren’t actually incompetent (in which case that should be the reason for firing them, not their personality) rehiring and retraining is always going to be more costly than giving someone a 30 day plan and a chance.

  2. Ellie Avatar

    Fine, I suppose, but it seems a little unfair that the ordinary Joe doesn’t get the chance to change as well. After all, the average folk just doing their jobs are tremendously important to a company and I feel everyone should get one strike.
    It’s fair, I suppose, that whether you are a superstar or not should govern how high you climb or the size or your bonus, but it seems somewhat irrelevant to a persons capacity for change. As long as they aren’t actually incompetent (in which case that should be the reason for firing them, not their personality) rehiring and retraining is always going to be more costly than giving someone a 30 day plan and a chance.

  3. Ellie Avatar

    Fine, I suppose, but it seems a little unfair that the ordinary Joe doesn’t get the chance to change as well. After all, the average folk just doing their jobs are tremendously important to a company and I feel everyone should get one strike.
    It’s fair, I suppose, that whether you are a superstar or not should govern how high you climb or the size or your bonus, but it seems somewhat irrelevant to a persons capacity for change. As long as they aren’t actually incompetent (in which case that should be the reason for firing them, not their personality) rehiring and retraining is always going to be more costly than giving someone a 30 day plan and a chance.

  4. Ellie Avatar

    Fine, I suppose, but it seems a little unfair that the ordinary Joe doesn’t get the chance to change as well. After all, the average folk just doing their jobs are tremendously important to a company and I feel everyone should get one strike.
    It’s fair, I suppose, that whether you are a superstar or not should govern how high you climb or the size or your bonus, but it seems somewhat irrelevant to a persons capacity for change. As long as they aren’t actually incompetent (in which case that should be the reason for firing them, not their personality) rehiring and retraining is always going to be more costly than giving someone a 30 day plan and a chance.

  5. Ellie Avatar

    Fine, I suppose, but it seems a little unfair that the ordinary Joe doesn’t get the chance to change as well. After all, the average folk just doing their jobs are tremendously important to a company and I feel everyone should get one strike.
    It’s fair, I suppose, that whether you are a superstar or not should govern how high you climb or the size or your bonus, but it seems somewhat irrelevant to a persons capacity for change. As long as they aren’t actually incompetent (in which case that should be the reason for firing them, not their personality) rehiring and retraining is always going to be more costly than giving someone a 30 day plan and a chance.

  6. Ellie Avatar

    Fine, I suppose, but it seems a little unfair that the ordinary Joe doesn’t get the chance to change as well. After all, the average folk just doing their jobs are tremendously important to a company and I feel everyone should get one strike.
    It’s fair, I suppose, that whether you are a superstar or not should govern how high you climb or the size or your bonus, but it seems somewhat irrelevant to a persons capacity for change. As long as they aren’t actually incompetent (in which case that should be the reason for firing them, not their personality) rehiring and retraining is always going to be more costly than giving someone a 30 day plan and a chance.

  7. Ellie Avatar

    Fine, I suppose, but it seems a little unfair that the ordinary Joe doesn’t get the chance to change as well. After all, the average folk just doing their jobs are tremendously important to a company and I feel everyone should get one strike.
    It’s fair, I suppose, that whether you are a superstar or not should govern how high you climb or the size or your bonus, but it seems somewhat irrelevant to a persons capacity for change. As long as they aren’t actually incompetent (in which case that should be the reason for firing them, not their personality) rehiring and retraining is always going to be more costly than giving someone a 30 day plan and a chance.

  8. Ellie Avatar

    Fine, I suppose, but it seems a little unfair that the ordinary Joe doesn’t get the chance to change as well. After all, the average folk just doing their jobs are tremendously important to a company and I feel everyone should get one strike.
    It’s fair, I suppose, that whether you are a superstar or not should govern how high you climb or the size or your bonus, but it seems somewhat irrelevant to a persons capacity for change. As long as they aren’t actually incompetent (in which case that should be the reason for firing them, not their personality) rehiring and retraining is always going to be more costly than giving someone a 30 day plan and a chance.

  9. Petar Avatar
    Petar

    And what if certified jerk is in higher managerial ranks who delivers the results to his bosses, and mistreat the people under him, in lower ranks? Who should fire that jerk? And what people beneath him can do in that position, except trying to avoid him, please him, and some other non-productive things?

  10. Petar Avatar
    Petar

    And what if certified jerk is in higher managerial ranks who delivers the results to his bosses, and mistreat the people under him, in lower ranks? Who should fire that jerk? And what people beneath him can do in that position, except trying to avoid him, please him, and some other non-productive things?

  11. Petar Avatar
    Petar

    And what if certified jerk is in higher managerial ranks who delivers the results to his bosses, and mistreat the people under him, in lower ranks? Who should fire that jerk? And what people beneath him can do in that position, except trying to avoid him, please him, and some other non-productive things?

  12. Petar Avatar
    Petar

    And what if certified jerk is in higher managerial ranks who delivers the results to his bosses, and mistreat the people under him, in lower ranks? Who should fire that jerk? And what people beneath him can do in that position, except trying to avoid him, please him, and some other non-productive things?

  13. Petar Avatar
    Petar

    And what if certified jerk is in higher managerial ranks who delivers the results to his bosses, and mistreat the people under him, in lower ranks? Who should fire that jerk? And what people beneath him can do in that position, except trying to avoid him, please him, and some other non-productive things?

  14. Petar Avatar
    Petar

    And what if certified jerk is in higher managerial ranks who delivers the results to his bosses, and mistreat the people under him, in lower ranks? Who should fire that jerk? And what people beneath him can do in that position, except trying to avoid him, please him, and some other non-productive things?

  15. Petar Avatar
    Petar

    And what if certified jerk is in higher managerial ranks who delivers the results to his bosses, and mistreat the people under him, in lower ranks? Who should fire that jerk? And what people beneath him can do in that position, except trying to avoid him, please him, and some other non-productive things?

  16. Petar Avatar
    Petar

    And what if certified jerk is in higher managerial ranks who delivers the results to his bosses, and mistreat the people under him, in lower ranks? Who should fire that jerk? And what people beneath him can do in that position, except trying to avoid him, please him, and some other non-productive things?

  17. Lary Kirchenbauer Avatar

    Bob – thanks for the short but sweet diagram. I think it can be used very effectively for a number of other character types, which I’ve described in my recent article about How to Keep Smart People from Killing Each Other. http://tiny.cc/p0zkl

  18. Lary Kirchenbauer Avatar

    Bob – thanks for the short but sweet diagram. I think it can be used very effectively for a number of other character types, which I’ve described in my recent article about How to Keep Smart People from Killing Each Other. http://tiny.cc/p0zkl

  19. Lary Kirchenbauer Avatar

    Bob – thanks for the short but sweet diagram. I think it can be used very effectively for a number of other character types, which I’ve described in my recent article about How to Keep Smart People from Killing Each Other. http://tiny.cc/p0zkl

  20. Lary Kirchenbauer Avatar

    Bob – thanks for the short but sweet diagram. I think it can be used very effectively for a number of other character types, which I’ve described in my recent article about How to Keep Smart People from Killing Each Other. http://tiny.cc/p0zkl

  21. Lary Kirchenbauer Avatar

    Bob – thanks for the short but sweet diagram. I think it can be used very effectively for a number of other character types, which I’ve described in my recent article about How to Keep Smart People from Killing Each Other. http://tiny.cc/p0zkl

  22. Lary Kirchenbauer Avatar

    Bob – thanks for the short but sweet diagram. I think it can be used very effectively for a number of other character types, which I’ve described in my recent article about How to Keep Smart People from Killing Each Other. http://tiny.cc/p0zkl

  23. Lary Kirchenbauer Avatar

    Bob – thanks for the short but sweet diagram. I think it can be used very effectively for a number of other character types, which I’ve described in my recent article about How to Keep Smart People from Killing Each Other. http://tiny.cc/p0zkl

  24. Lary Kirchenbauer Avatar

    Bob – thanks for the short but sweet diagram. I think it can be used very effectively for a number of other character types, which I’ve described in my recent article about How to Keep Smart People from Killing Each Other. http://tiny.cc/p0zkl

  25. Joe Posner Avatar
    Joe Posner

    Since people tend to overrate their own competence wouldn’t having this policy result in most people acting like assholes on the assumption that they are a superstar who will be given time to correct their ways?

  26. Joe Posner Avatar
    Joe Posner

    Since people tend to overrate their own competence wouldn’t having this policy result in most people acting like assholes on the assumption that they are a superstar who will be given time to correct their ways?

  27. Joe Posner Avatar
    Joe Posner

    Since people tend to overrate their own competence wouldn’t having this policy result in most people acting like assholes on the assumption that they are a superstar who will be given time to correct their ways?

  28. Joe Posner Avatar
    Joe Posner

    Since people tend to overrate their own competence wouldn’t having this policy result in most people acting like assholes on the assumption that they are a superstar who will be given time to correct their ways?

  29. Joe Posner Avatar
    Joe Posner

    Since people tend to overrate their own competence wouldn’t having this policy result in most people acting like assholes on the assumption that they are a superstar who will be given time to correct their ways?

  30. Joe Posner Avatar
    Joe Posner

    Since people tend to overrate their own competence wouldn’t having this policy result in most people acting like assholes on the assumption that they are a superstar who will be given time to correct their ways?

  31. Joe Posner Avatar
    Joe Posner

    Since people tend to overrate their own competence wouldn’t having this policy result in most people acting like assholes on the assumption that they are a superstar who will be given time to correct their ways?

  32. Joe Posner Avatar
    Joe Posner

    Since people tend to overrate their own competence wouldn’t having this policy result in most people acting like assholes on the assumption that they are a superstar who will be given time to correct their ways?

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