Excelente Jefe, Mal Jefe

On Christmas Day, my new boss sent me an email asking about a 6 month old charge from a vendor. Three days earlier, he sent me an email while I was driving to a client meeting 90 minutes away. When I checked my emails before starting the meeting, I found the original email - and several strident follow ups, demanding an immediate response to the original email and an explanation for why I hadn't responded immediately. Immediately. And, just before New Years' Day, while I was on a family vacation, he had me work for hours on a project he'd already cancelled.

I could go through Roget's and pick out any number of words for the situation and how I feel about the last 10 days of the year. But, as Robert I. Sutton, PhD points out in "Good Boss, Bad Boss: How to Be the Best…. and Survive the Worst" (2010), it could have been much, much worse. At least I wasn't water-boarded as a team building exercise like one literally tortured employee in his book.

Sutton is a Professor of Management Science and Engineering in the Stanford Engineering School. He's got some great concepts - simplified as the 'No asshole rule' that, from my bottom-of-the-pile, no-one-under-me, I-never-want-to-manage-anyone perspective, work. And work well.

I don't know if my previous boss read this book or Sutton's "The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t" (2007) or just knew some parts intuitively, but he (mostly) followed them. When things worked, he left us alone. When he needed to criticize, he did so swiftly and without apology. Mostly, he deflected outside interference and let us do our jobs. These are concepts Sutton champions, along with rigorous honesty, especially in the face of problems; managing what you know and not rising to the Peter principal level; keeping your mouth shut about confidential information; and showing empathy for employees. Sutton's got specific management techniques for handling difficult situations. I've seen them in action, and they work.

As far as employee survival techniques go, I'd expected more from a book that's title includes, ". . . and Survive the Worst." For example, becoming, in the words of Roger Waters and David Gilmour of Pink Floyd "Comfortably Numb" (1979) is a great idea, but Sutton doesn't explain how to do it psychologically. It seems like it happens to a lot of employees in Sutton's book as a natural result of unremitting demoralization, so maybe I'll get there.

This is worth the read/listen if you're a manager or want to be one. In fact, take the Asshole Rating Self-Exam (ARSE) test that's available on line and read the book before becoming a manager. If you're already a manager, have someone you trust fill out the test for you. Please. Follow the recommendations so you are called 'El Jefe Mas Excelente' instead of something else. Unfortunately, though, this book isn't as helpful for us worker bees trying to survive in a restless hive.

Bob Walter was good narrator, and the pacing and editing was good.

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12 people found this helpful

Most pragmatic management handbook

Spend 20-years in management and you'll work your way through a tower of leadership development and management practices books. Some are insightful while most simply confirm the things you already knew. Good Boss, Bad Boss was different. Sutton provides not just conceptual truths gleaned from his research, but he gets down into the trenches and identifies specific, individual behaviors that can either help or hurt a manager or leader's efforts to perform the job. I cannot recall another book that eschewed theory and provided a practical roadmap as useful as that which Sutton provides here. Banish the Bosshole with this book.

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5 people found this helpful

Seemed kind of angry

It concerns me that people as described in the book exist. I've had little contact with these types over my career. Overall, the book had a very angry tone which made it harder to take seriously and absorb the material. It certainly outlines plenty of behavior "not to do", but I would hope few people would have gone that route anyway. But, then again, some must or the book wouldn't have been written!

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4 people found this helpful

A must for supervisors

When I wake up in the morning, I always say to myself...I will be kind to my staff.
This book strenghtened my beliefs that kindness begets kindness, respect begets respect.
One of the best books I've ever listened too. Thank you Mr. Sutton for great advice and insights.
Angie Shelton
Stanford University
Billing Supervisor

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3 people found this helpful

Just F’ing Great

I read this because I am struggling with a fearful, controlling boss... Didn’t address that so much as made me rethink all my moves and how I can impact positive change in my multi-billion $ organization. And I LAUGHED OUT LOUD the whole time. No BS, this guy. The Real Deal.

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1 person found this helpful

Boss holes read this

I wish boss holes would read and apply books like this and Be Human, Lead Human. It is unfortunate that most are some combination of clueless, apathetic or egotistical too address the damage they inflict on themselves and others. It is even more unfortunate that there are those that want to elect boss holes.

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Cannot recommend this book enough!

I cannot recommend this book enough!! Should be a management required reading.l prerequisite. Just my opinion .

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Fantastic book, terrible reader

Bob Sutton is a genius - this book is fantastic. That said, I’m perplexed as to the choice for narrator. It is so monotonous and boring. I wish Bob has read the book himself.

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Useful for Educators

I listened to this at the recommendation of Jim Knight (Better Conversations), and agree with him that this is essential reading for educators.

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Amazing

Got to listen to this if you supervise or plan on supervising in the future!

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