The Quote: "The technology meant she didn't have to see his face and could turn the volume down until he was no longer being an asshole."
Who Said It: Robert Sutton, author of The No Asshole Rule, Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't.
In Context: In response to a question from CIO Insight senior writer Edward Cone, about the impact of technology itself on assholery, Sutton mentioned a senior executive at a technology company who had a board member who was a total screamer asshole.
"She didn't want to see him in person, with the veins bulging, so she'd call him up and put him on speakerphone, and then put her feet on her desk and do her fingernails, and every so often turn the volume up to see if he'd calmed down, and when he did they could have a conversation. She was emotionally detached," Sutton said. "The technology meant she didn't have to see his face and could turn the volume down until he was no longer being an asshole."
Find Out More: See Getting IT Bullies to Behave
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