Yes, I’m using that term deliberately. It fits and it’s part of the title of a new book by a very well respected Stanford professor, Bob Sutton: The No Asshole Rule. While this book deals more with bosses and employees, as I understand it (it’s not out yet so I haven’t read it), the information Sutton provides on his blog often applies to our industries. I bet the book will too.
I’m particularly sensitive to this topic because I’ve seen some creatives be really quite lousy to other creatives, and it pisses me off. It’s hard enough making it in a creative industry–why should we make it harder on each other? For example, I personally had a boss (owner) who told his workers (about 6 of us) that there needed to be “belt-tightening” in the company. We all needed to “pull together” to get through the financial bad times, and vague promises of profit sharing in the future were offered. A few days later he showed up with (and showed off!) his new Audi. Interesting that he lost two key players (including me) not long after that.
Another place I see abuse is in the treatment of interns in agencies and assistants by photographers. These people are often treated like scum. I don’t mean that they are asked to clean the bathrooms (which they often are, but that can be okay if others do it too, like in a small studio or firm), I mean they are verbally belittled (a pro assistant being told he’s “just an assistant” even though he has lit and set up the shot for the photographer–or even called names!), paid grudgingly, late, or looked at like they’re nuts for expecting to get paid at all, and even not fed when everyone else gets lunch provided…things like that.
When, for example, a photographer talks on-set about his last trip to France and the AD shows off his new car and laptop, and the AE drives a high-end sports car and wears Armani, it is insulting to tell a highly-skilled digital (tech) assistant that s/he can’t be paid more than $250 a day because there isn’t any money in the budget. Then to say that you won’t pay the assistant until you get paid (same goes for agencies not paying photographers until they get paid) is beyond unacceptable.
When I ask creatives why they think it’s okay to do things like this, the answer I get most often is “This is how I was treated–they have to pay their dues!” That is the biggest bullshit answer, ever. You got kicked in the teeth, therefore it’s okay for you to kick the next person? No. That’s the same rationalization abusers give and it is does not speak to the fundamental fact that such behavior is, quite simply, wrong.
Bob Sutton points out that this behavior is directly connected to power. Getting power seems to turn people (if they are not careful) into assholes. When you become the boss, you are instantly transformed into a person with power. You then have a choice–to become a good boss or an asshole. For those of us in the creative industries, we may have a more difficult time overcoming the “asshole poisoning” Sutton refers to, as this article points out, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do it.
Were you forced to do scut-work or treated like trash early in your career? I am sorry you had to go through that. It sucks. Your boss was wrong to treat you that way. Tell yourself that–“My boss was wrong to (fill in the humiliation).” Imagine what you would tell that boss if s/he tried that on you today.
Now, don’t pass on that venom.
Each of us has the choice of how we act and react and can decide to stop being an asshole today. If you’ve been known to, say, stall payments to your vendors, write those checks today. Thank an intern. Tell your assistant that you appreciate her/his efforts. Take your crew out for cocktails, just to say “I know you work hard.” My prediction is that you will get better productivity out of these people (productivity increases with respect) and that you, as well as they, will be happier at work.