‘Asshole Survival Guide’ by Robert I. Sutton

Regular readers will know that I place ongoing importance upon the subject of bullying, which is not merely confined to childhood. Adults can be the targets and perpetrators too.

Since writing his book about “building civilized workplaces,” The No Asshole Rule, author Robert I. Sutton was besieged with questions by readers about what they should do to deal with abusive people at work. In The Asshole Survival Guide (Houghton Mifflin, September 2017), Sutton shares strategies and tips that he developed over the years.

Sutton cautions readers that there is no one strategy that will work for every type of jerk, nor easy and instant relief; his intention is for readers to decide for themselves, “which survival tricks and moves are best for navigating the particular ugliness you face.”
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The first step, Sutton recommends, is to figure out how dire things really are. He cautions readers to beware of first impressions and really study things thoroughly before deciding upon a course of action.

Possible actions can include “making a clean getaway,” that is, quitting the job, looking for ways to reduce exposure to the toxic person at your work, mentally reframing your encounters with this person in order to reduce their impact, and directly fighting back against your tormentor.

Sutton is candid about potential risks attached to each of the strategies; he cautions again that when directly fighting back, it’s best to avoid sudden actions that can lead to stupid mistakes.

I approached this book from the perspective of a person who was bullied and ostracized in school, and who has encountered incidents of bullying during my professional career. As a lifetime stakeholder, I was therefore greatly appreciative to be able to read Sutton’s new work. I first encountered The No Asshole Rule while browsing at my library, and was thrilled to learn when researching the author that he’d released this follow-up book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher. The opinion expressed is my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”