Jerks at Work

Sep 29, 2024 9:26 AM

Author:Tessa West

Jerks at Work

Want to get those difficult colleagues off your back and restore your sanity? NYU psychology professor Tessa West shows you how.

Have you ever watched a colleague charm the pants off management while showing a competitive, Machiavellian side to the lower ranks? They don't hesitate to throw peers under the bus, but their boss is oblivious to their bad behaviour. What about a constantly interrupting colleague? Or an over-bearing manager? While these jerks stress us out in small ways throughout the day, they aren't technically breaking any rules, so we're expected just to put up with them.

...Until now. Tessa West has already helped thousands of people resolve their most pressing workplace issues. And here she draws on a decade of original research to profile classic workplace archetypes, including the Gaslighter, the Bulldozer, the Credit-Stealer, the Neglecter, and the Micromanager, giving advice to anyone who's ever hidden in the bathroom to cry at work. She digs deep into the inner workings of each bad apple, exploring their motivations and insecurities, and offers clever strategies for stopping each type of jerk in their tracks.

Know a Jerk at Work? This proactive approach reveals the single, most effective way to achieve emotional wellbeing at work.

Reviews

Tessa West's strategies can help anyone reduce the impact of [a work jerk's] behaviour

—— The Financial Times

Who doesn't want to know how to manage the other idiots better? Or at least not murder them. This is the office survival guide I wish I'd read when I first started work. It's never too late to be a jerk whisperer. Essential reading.

—— Viv Groskop, author of How to Own the Room

This book provides the key to working smarter, better and happier, no matter who you're working with.

—— Nir Eyal, author of Hooked and Indistractable

Most of your happiness at work is based on personal relationships. Being able to manage those relationships when things get difficult is key to your success at work - and in life. Jerks at Work is a practical and engaging set of tools. Buy it.

—— Scott Galloway, author of The Four

Reading Jerks at Work is like listening to a real person who is smart, warm, and funny, and who I'd like to have a glass of wine with. That's unusual for any business or self-help author to achieve-from a scientist it's practically a miracle. This book basically has it all. I'm going to make it mandatory reading for everyone on my team. We all need this book.

—— Heidi Grant, PhD, author of Nine Things Successful People Do Differently

Tessa West is a star in the field of social psychology. She's a stellar thinker, writer, and speaker, and Jerks at Work is poised to be a hit. We've all encountered a kiss-up-kick-down coworker, a micromanaging boss, or a workplace liar, and West explains what makes them tick, and how to prevent them from making the majority of our waking lives a nightmare.

—— Adam Alter, author of Drunk Tank Pink and Irresistible

Jerks at Work is a breezy and fun read for anyone who wants happier and healthier relationships at work. Tessa West puts a name to the types of jerks that can make your work life miserable, while also giving practical advice for how to spot them and how to disarm them. This a book you will refer back to again and again.

—— Annie Duke, author of How to Decide

You never know when a jerk is going to get in the way of your success, but with Jerks at Work you can finally protect yourself. This book is career insurance!

—— Vanessa Van Edwards, author of Captivate

Tessa West combines easy-to-apply tips with relatable, funny, and shocking stories that will have you taking notes. Anyone regardless of industry or level will benefit from Jerks at Work.

—— Jonah Berger, author of Contagious and The Catalyst

Step back and rejoice, because Tessa West has done something rare and incredible with Jerks at Work. She has condensed and translated incredible insights from her experience as a psychologist, along with decades of relevant research, to create a fun, funny, and functional handbook for how to use science to make your job suck less whether behind your desk, in a conference room, or working from home.

—— Dave McRaney, author of You’re Not So Smart

Funny and sharp, with great stories and wise and scientifically grounded advice, Jerks at Work is a life-saver for anyone who has to deal with difficult people at work-which includes just about everyone!

—— Paul Bloom, Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto and author of The Sweet Spot

It's hard to believe that a book so insightful about how we can flourish at work is also this funny and raw.

—— Eli J. Finkel, Professor of Psychology at Northwestern University

When you're in the mood for a pep talk, who better to turn to than a well-networked, optimistic mentor who is naturally in your corner?

—— Tech Crunch

It was surprising to learn-as I did from Reid Hoffman's new book, Masters of Scale-how many of today's top Silicon Valley entrepreneurs are inveterate questioners, driven by curiosity... You need to be a restless learner and a person who's not afraid to question anything-including your own bright ideas... One of the surprises in the Masters of Scale book is seeing how many success stories were born out of failure.

—— Fast Company

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