Wait, I'm Working With Who?!? : The Essential Guide to Dealing with Difficult Coworkers, Annoying Managers, and Other Toxic Personalities

This is the go-to guide on working with anyone in your office—from the difficult or negative to the toxic and destructive—whether they are your manager, a team member, or someone who’s just waiting out the clock. Chock-full of useful advice that will make your workday happier and more productive. Who hasn’t had to deal with a jerk at work? Whether it’s a toxic team member who loves nothing more than to suck the life and excitement out of her colleagues, the difficult coworker who isn’t happy unless the office is filled with mayhem and drama, or a bad boss who causes his employees to constantly dream of telling him to “Take this job and shove it!”, we’ve all had to deal with people on the job we would rather not. Wait, I’m Working with Who?!? is the essential guide to identifying and dealing with jerks at work, including bad bosses, troublemaking coworkers, lazy and time-sucking team members, and toxic people of all sorts. This book covers the negative impact that problematic coworkers have on the workplace—lost productivity, high turnover, a company culture of ambivalence or defeat—and catalogs 16 specific species. It then goes on to share detailed steps for dealing with these characters—whether you’re an employee or a manager. The information and strategies in these chapters will be immediately actionable and profoundly helpful. Based on proven approaches and the latest research and advice of workplace experts, Wait, I’m Working with Who?!? provides readers with concrete, unambiguous advice on how to deal with and neutralize the negative people in their work lives. "Who hasn't had to deal with a jerk at work? Whether it's a toxic team member who loves nothing better than to suck the life and excitement out of her colleagues or a bad boss who causes his employees to constantly dream of telling him to "Take this job and shove it!" or the difficult co-worker who isn't happy unless the office is filled with mayhem and drama, we've all had to deal with people on the job we would rather not. Based on proven approaches and the latest research and advice of workplace experts, this book will provide readers with detailed and unambiguous advice on how to deal with and neutralize the negative people in their work lives"-- Provided by publisher If you've never encountered a jerk at work, consider yourself lucky. Most workplaces host a smattering of people with toxic personality traits that make life miserable for managers and employees alike. Behaviors such as bullying, gossiping, incivility and slacking pollute the work environment, erode cohesion, lower morale, reduce productivity and even nudge good people to quit. Peter Economy, The Leadership Guy at online magazine Inc., offers advice and time-tested strategies to identify, manage and prevail over toxic types and forge a professional, positive and safe work environment Front Cover Copyright Page Contents Introduction Part I: A Field Guide to Jerks at Work 1. The Hugely Negative Impact of Jerks at Work 2. A Field Guide to the Sixteen Most Common Jerks at Work Part II: Eight Strategies for Dealing with Jerks at Work 3. Take a Big Step Back 4. Refuse to Play Their Game 5. Learn How to Neutralize Conflict 6. See Something, Say Something 7. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff 8. Learn by Negative Examples 9. Don’t Be a Jerk Yourself 10. Hire Slow, Fire Fast Acknowledgments Notes About the Author Back Cover