Get Rid of The Assholes

Get Rid of The?Assholes

A little more from us to get you thinking...

Well, we got your attention with the title, didn't we? :)?

It’s thrilling to see articles, research and headlines including topics like employee wellness, caring work culture, upskilling employees, providing continuous feedback and connecting with colleagues. We’ve always believed the key to a thriving organization was seeing employees as people and creating collaborative teams through positive work environments (People First!). We’ve been talking about it and preaching it for decades...but the last few years forced change as many employers are discovering the only way to attract and retain employees today is by prioritizing their people, humanizing the workplace and caring about the employee experience.

We genuinely believe that most people are good and most leaders have good intentions. They want to create caring environments, they mean to develop their people, they intend to coach....but everyone is So. Freaking. Busy! Nearly every manager, supervisor or leader of people is overworked, overwhelmed with things to do, short-staffed and exhausted (us included). While these headlines and articles discussing People First topics seems like progress is finally being made, every article we read leaves us feeling anxious, confused and frankly, more stressed. Because we only have so much time every day.

So what can we do to change our cultures? Where do we start to create a People First environment? How do we enhance our employees’ work experiences?

Simple. (We love simple).

Get Rid of The?Assholes.

Yep. You read that right. If you ask a room full of people: “Who wants to work with an?asshole?” No one will raise their hand because no one wants to be barked at, disrespected, made to feel stupid or treated poorly. So, who are the jerks on your team? It’s not that you have to fire them, but you do need to explain that their behavior is not acceptable and it will no longer be tolerated. Let your entire team know that everyone will be treated with respect, kindness and care. And if that doesn’t happen, you’ll be called on it.

Sounds simple doesn’t it? That’s because it is.

The same goes for you. Ask yourself, “Am I being an?asshole?to my coworkers?” If an employee comes to you asking for help, do you tell them you’re busy and to come back later? If a colleague tells you a problem they are having, do you help them work through it or snap back that they to figure it out on your own? Here’s some keen advice for you if want to attract and retain employees: Don’t be an?asshole?and don’t let others be?assholes.

If this sounds a little too good to be true, here’s a real-life example:

At one of our recent speaking engagements, a club manager friend of ours eagerly approached us at the end of our presentation. He loved our message and couldn’t wait to tell us what he experienced at his club…. A few months ago, he took a new job as the general manager of a private club in Minnesota. When he arrived, they only had two chefs on staff, when they needed at least a dozen or more. He had no Executive Chef and they couldn’t get applicants to apply no matter how much they paid per hour.

Finally, our GM friend found a great Executive Chef. But when he offered him the job, the GM told the Chef he had one rule: No?Assholes. The chef looked confused so the GM provided further explanation. He said, “You can’t hire any?assholes?to work in the kitchen. And if you find out later that someone you hired is actually an?asshole, you have to get rid of them. Can you agree to that?” The new Executive Chef nodded his head and said “Yes.”

Fast forward ten months and our GM friend giddily shared that his kitchen staff was full, and chefs (as well as other positions!) were asking for jobs without advertising open positions because word had spread around the city that they were good people who treated each other well and it was a great place to work! He reported that their employee morale had never been higher and their turnover had never been lower!

So if you think eliminating?assholes?(or at least the asshol-ic behavior) doesn’t matter, think again.

We can all be kinder, more understanding and most importantly, more helpful to the people with whom we work. Let’s treat each other with dignity, respect and care. These are the easiest ways to create a better company culture, attract candidates for open positions and retain employees. Keep it simple! It’s all about putting People First!!