Monday 22 July 2013

Book ~ "Emotional Vampires at Work: Dealing with Bosses and Coworkers Who Drain You Dry" (2013) Albert J. Bernstein

From Goodreads ~ Do you work with vampires?  Learn how to protect yourself!

Banish the bloodsuckers from your professional life. Whether it's a coworker, subordinate, or boss, there's at least one emotional vampire in every office. These people try your patience, sap your energy, and add an entirely unhealthy dynamic to workplace productivity. The bestselling author of "Emotional Vampires" and "Dinosaur Brains" shows you how to spot and deal effectively with these dysfunctional elements in the workplace: 
  • Antisocials, who crave excitement in all its forms, including aggression
    If your boss or a coworker is trying to push you around . . .
    "Learn that the most important battle to fight with a bully is in your own mind." 
  • Histrionics, who believe that what it looks like is more important than what it is
    If your boss thinks any problem can be solved with a motivational seminar . . .
    "Learn how to get a manager wannabe to actually manage." 
  • Narcissists, who believe that the universe revolves around them
    If your CEO makes Louis XVI look like Gandhi . . .
    "Learn techniques that diplomats have used throughout history to teach infantile monarchs to act like grown-ups." 
  • Obsessive-compulsives, who can't seem to see the forest for the trees
    If there is absolutely no task that your boss considers too small to micromanage . . .
    "Learn to be a Control-Freak Whisperer by seeing your boss's fear rather than your own irritation." 
  • Paranoids, who think they've found the simple truths that explain everything
    If you work in a place where you can't get ahead unless you drink the Kool-Aid . . .
    "Learn how to recognize a toxic belief system before it poisons you." 

If you are in the workforce, no doubt you have worked with some of these vampires ... but didn't know what to do about it.  If that's the case, this book will help you. 

This book starts by describing the the different vampires along with examples ... there are later chapters giving a lot more detail about each of the different vampires and how to deal with them.  There is a quiz to determine who you are ... a rebel, a believer or a competitor ... which will help you deal with the different vampires.  Finally there are 15 signs that an organization is run by vampires for vampires.

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