Bob Sutton author of several excellent books “The No Asshole Rule” and “Hard Facts, Dangerous Half-Truths And Total Nonsense” (my current reading). I took the Asshole Rating Self Exam today and scored 4, which makes me seem pretty normal. More telling what would my score be if my wife and co-workers filled it out, perhaps my score would be a bit higher.

From Guy Kawaski’s posting I also like the story about SuccessFactors and their Rules of Engagement (apparently every employee has to sign these).

These rules sound like very agile/lean in nature. Specifically the rules:

• I will demonstrate respect for the individual; I will be nice and listen to others, and respect myself. I will act with integrity and professionalism.
• I will help my colleagues and recognize the team when we win. I will never leave them behind when we lose.
• I will constantly improve Kaizen! I will approach every day as an opportunity to do a better job, admitting to and learning from my mistakes.
• I will selflessly pursue customer success.
• I will support the culture of meritocracy and pay for performance.
• I will be transparent. I will communicate clearly and be brutally honest, even when it’s difficult, because I trust my colleagues.

Bob’s book and test make a great reminder. Arseholes are not agile, they’re impediment and road block to getting the job done.

Update this post was picked up in the March 1 Carnival of Agilists – Thanks to Kevin for deciding that a Brit living in Canada is a Brit.

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