Surviving the Toxic Workplace: Protect Yourself Against Coworkers, Bosses, and Work Environments That Poison Your Day

by Linnda Durre

Overview

Proven techniques for dealing with workplace issues successfully

Do you dread going to work? Dealing with pestering coworkers, unmanageable managers, angry clients can take its toll on your job performance. And in these difficult economic times, no one can afford to lose their jobs.

In Surviving the Toxic Workplace, syndicated author and psychotherapist Linnda Durre teaches you how to pinpoint and treat these office maladies with effective communication and conflict negotiation techniques that are sure to bring you peace of mind and peace at work.

Surviving the Toxic Workplace shows you:

• Why these office conflicts erupt
• How to identify and treat the 12 most common types of toxic co-workers, situations, and environments
• The seven components of effective communication techniques you can use in various situations
• How to deal with different conflict styles

Don't let office conflicts drain you of energy or interfere with your job performance. Treat the malady before it gets out of hand with Surviving the Toxic Workplace.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780071664677
Publisher:	McGraw Hill LLC
Publication date:	01/26/2010
Edition description:	List
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	981,314
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Linnda Durre’, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist, business consultant, national speaker; magazine, Internet, and newspaper columnist; and television and radio talk show host, consults and speaks to businesses, companies, and corporations. She hosted and co-produced two live call-in TV shows: "Ask The Family Therapist," on America's Health Network, a national cable TV station associated with the Mayo Clinic which aired from Universal Studios, Orlando; and "Personal Success Hotline with Dr. Durre'," on a PBS affiliate, and three radio shows. She has spoken to hundreds of groups and given interviews on Oprah, 60 Minutes, The Today Show, The O'Reilly Factor, Canada AM, Daytime, Fox, CBS, NBC, ABC, and Good Morning America, among others, and she has been interviewed, quoted, and/or cited in Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Investors Business Daily, Inc. Magazine, Business Week, Law Office Administrator, New York Times, LA Times, Christian Science Monitor, USA Today, Orlando Magazine, Toronto Globe & Mail, Pasadena Star News, Argus Leader, San Diego Union and Tribune, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Orlando Business Journal, Orlando Sentinel, Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce, San Francisco Chronicle and Examiner, Pacific Sun, San Antonio Light, Florida Magazine, and Parade. She has written for Forbes Online, AOL, Monster, Yahoo, Orlando Business Journal, American Cities Business Journals, Brentwood News, and in her column at eBossWatch on coping with difficult bosses.

Table of Contents

Part I Staff Infections: What They Are and How They Hurt You, Others, and Your Company

Chapter 1 Why Surviving the Toxic Workplace Can Help You, the Economy, and the World 3

Chapter 2 Are You in a Toxic Company Dealing with Toxic Co-Workers? 6

Chapter 3 Staff Infections: The Negative Effects They Have on a Company 9

Chapter 4 When Human Motives Turn Negative: Know Your Own Motives and Those of Others 15

Chapter 5 Everyone Has Positives and Negatives: Know and Accept Yours and Others' 23

Part II Communication and Relationships: Techniques to Get It Right

Chapter 6 Good Business Relationships Are Built on Trust, Honesty, and Open Communication 29

Chapter 7 Know and Align Your Attitude, Intentions, and Hidden Agendas 31

Chapter 8 Eliminate Weasel Words and Escape Clauses 34

Chapter 9 Recognize and Interpret Body Language 37

Chapter 10 Your Voice Is a Communication Tool 40

Chapter 11 Motivating Your Co-Workers to Change 43

Chapter 12 Four Different Intentions of Communication: Win/Win, Win/Lose, Lose/Win, and Lose/Lose 45

Chapter 13 Four Types of Behavior: Assertive, Aggressive, Passive-Aggressive, and Passive 48

Chapter 14 Preparation for Effective Discussion: Visualization, intention, and Rehearsal 51

Chapter 15 Speaking and Writing, Two Vital Keys to Communication 54

Chapter 16 Active Listening, Paraphrasing, Calling a Process Shot, and Agreeing to Disagree 58

Chapter 17 "The Sandwich": Giving Difficult Feedback with Care 63

Chapter 18 Forewarned Is Forearmed: Best Scenario to Worst Scenario 71

Chapter 19 Keep Your Expectations Reasonable and Your Hopes High 77

Chapter 20 Assertive Techniques That Give You Power 79

Part III Staff Infections: How to Recognize and Handle Toxic People

Chapter 21 How to Deal with Toxic Co-Workers: S.E.S.S.I.O.N.: The Situation, Explanation, and Solution System in Overcoming Nuisances 91

Chapter 22 The Socially Clueless 95

Chapter 23 The Work Interferes 106

Chapter 24 The Uncommitted 122

Chapter 25 The Angry Ones 128

Chapter 26 The Politically Incorrect 134

Chapter 27 The Victims 143

Chapter 28 The Rescuers 156

Chapter 29 The Saboteurs 161

Chapter 30 The Politicians 175

Chapter 31 The Sexually Suggestive 182

Chapter 32 The Obsessives 194

Chapter 33 The Addicts 202

Chapter 34 The Workplace Environment 210

Part IV Staff Infections: What to Do After a Confrontation

Chapter 35 How to Heal Yourself After a Confrontation 215

Chapter 36 How to Heal Co-Workers After a Confrontation 221

Chapter 37 What to Do If You Need Help from HR or Management 223

Chapter 38 What to Do If Administration and HR Don't Do Their Job 225

Chapter 39 Summary and Conclusion 238

Acknowledgments 241

Bibliography 244

Index 247