Jerks at work : toxic coworkers and what to do about them / Tessa West.

By:

West, Tessa V

Material type: Text

TextPublisher: [New York] : Portfolio/Penguin, [2022]Description: 261 pages ; 22 cmContent type:

text

Media type:

unmediated

Carrier type:

volume

ISBN:

9780593192306
0593192303

Subject(s):

DDC classification:

158.7 23/eng/20211130

LOC classification:

HF5548.8 .W474 2022

Contents:

Kiss up/kick downer -- The credit stealer -- The bulldozer -- The free rider -- The micromanager -- The neglectful boss -- The gaslighter.

Summary: "For anyone pulling their hair out over an irritating colleague who's not technically breaking any rules, a hilarious guide to getting difficult people off your back from NYU psychology professor Tessa West. Ever watched a coworker charm the pants off management while showing a competitive, Machiavellian side to the lower ranks? The Kiss-Up/Kick-Down coworker doesn't hesitate to throw peers under the bus, but their boss is oblivious to their bad behavior. What to do? In Jerks at Work, West draws on a decade of original research to profile classic workplace archetypes, including the Gaslighter, the Bulldozer, the Credit-Stealer, the Neglector, and the Micromanager, and gives advice to anyone who's ever cried in a bathroom stall at the office. West digs deep into the inner workings of each bad apple, exploring their motivations and insecurities--for instance, micromanagers develop compulsive habits due to poor managerial training and public shaming--and offers clever strategies for stopping each type of jerk in their tracks, such as: Bulldozers often gain extra influence in meetings by making sure they're the first person to talk, even by saying "let's start by all sharing our names," which research shows portrays them as powerful. Don't let them speak first! Kiss-Up/Kick-down coworkers are so endeared to their managers that, if you have to report them, do it in small doses over time--otherwise, you'll trigger cognitive dissonance in your brainwashed boss. Jerks at Work is the playbook that you wish you didn't need but you'll always turn to--and the answer to your endless "how to deal with a terrible boss" Google searches"-- Provided by publisher.

Average rating: 0.0 (0 votes)

Holdings
Item type	Current library	Collection	Call number	URL	Status	Date due	Barcode	Item holds
Book	Bedford Public Library Non-Fiction	Non-Fiction	650.13 WES	More online.	Available		32500001834010

Total holds: 1

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

A practical and hilarious guide to getting difficult people off your back, for anyone pulling their hair out over an irritating colleague who's not technically breaking any rules

From open floor plans and Zoom calls to Slack channels, the workplace has changed a lot over the years. But there's one thing that never changes: you'll always encounter jerks. Jerks at Work is the definitive guide to dealing with--and ultimately breaking free from--the overbearing bosses, irritating coworkers, and all-around difficult people who make work and life miserable.

Social psychologist Tessa West has spent years leveraging science to help people solve interpersonal conflicts in the workplace. What she discovered is that most of our go-to tactics don't work because they fail to address the specific motivations that drive bad behavior. In this book, she takes you on a rollicking deep dive of the seven jerks you're most likely to encounter at the office, drawing on decades of original research to expose their inner workings and weak points--and ultimately deliver an effective game plan for stopping each type before they take you down with them.

Jerks at Work is packed with everyday examples and clever strategies, such as how to:
* Stop a Bulldozer from gaining influence by making sure they're not the first to speak up in meetings
* Report a Kiss Up/Kick Downer to a manager who idolizes them without looking like the bad guy
* Protect your high-achieving team from Free Riders without stifling collaboration
* Use a Gaslighter's tactics to beat them at their own game

For anyone who's said "I can't stand that jerk!" more times than they'd like to admit, Jerks at Work is the ultimate playbook you wish you didn't need but will always turn to.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 245-256) and index.

Kiss up/kick downer -- The credit stealer -- The bulldozer -- The free rider -- The micromanager -- The neglectful boss -- The gaslighter.

"For anyone pulling their hair out over an irritating colleague who's not technically breaking any rules, a hilarious guide to getting difficult people off your back from NYU psychology professor Tessa West. Ever watched a coworker charm the pants off management while showing a competitive, Machiavellian side to the lower ranks? The Kiss-Up/Kick-Down coworker doesn't hesitate to throw peers under the bus, but their boss is oblivious to their bad behavior. What to do? In Jerks at Work, West draws on a decade of original research to profile classic workplace archetypes, including the Gaslighter, the Bulldozer, the Credit-Stealer, the Neglector, and the Micromanager, and gives advice to anyone who's ever cried in a bathroom stall at the office. West digs deep into the inner workings of each bad apple, exploring their motivations and insecurities--for instance, micromanagers develop compulsive habits due to poor managerial training and public shaming--and offers clever strategies for stopping each type of jerk in their tracks, such as: Bulldozers often gain extra influence in meetings by making sure they're the first person to talk, even by saying "let's start by all sharing our names," which research shows portrays them as powerful. Don't let them speak first! Kiss-Up/Kick-down coworkers are so endeared to their managers that, if you have to report them, do it in small doses over time--otherwise, you'll trigger cognitive dissonance in your brainwashed boss. Jerks at Work is the playbook that you wish you didn't need but you'll always turn to--and the answer to your endless "how to deal with a terrible boss" Google searches"-- Provided by publisher.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

NYU social psychologist West empowers frustrated workers to deal with difficult colleagues in her punchy debut. Among the types of workplace antagonists she identifies, there's the "kiss up/kick downer," who tramples colleagues to get ahead; the "credit stealer," who pretends to be friendly but takes ideas; and the gaslighter, who manipulates others to make them complicit in unethical behavior. For each "jerk at work," West details methods for pinpointing what motivates them and where and when their jerky behavior is most likely to occur, and offers tactics to deploy in response. In the case of a "free rider," for example, friendly folks who don't do much, one should set strict boundaries, and with a neglectful boss at the helm, one should "need-nudge," or make concrete requests for help with specific time frames. West highlights the roles she's played in workplace drama--she's been employee and boss, and confesses to being both victim and jerk: her excessive micromanaging once drove 11 students working on a research project to quit in a single month. She mines these experiences for solid anecdotes, and while her tips are geared toward victims of workplace bullies, West's simultaneously humorous and no-nonsense approach to collegiality is broadly applicable. Leaders and workers alike will find in West an astute and personable guide. (Jan.)

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Tessa West is an Associate Professor of Psychology at New York University, where she is a leading expert on interpersonal interaction and communication. She has published over 60 articles in the field of psychology's most prestigious journals, and has received multiple grants, including from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. She is the recipient of the Theoretical Innovation Prize from the Societ for Personality and Social Psychology. She writes regularly about her research in the Wall Street Journal .

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