No need to explain what we mean by "toxic." Everyone has worked with at least a few people who have that word glowing on their forehead. Fortunately, this book offers a lot more than commiseration. The author, an Ivy League-educated psychotherapist and specialist in organizational dynamics, says his guide is aimed at helping people work with those above and below them in the hierarchy. Learning to cope with difficult people, he says, teaches skills that are good for your current job and all jobs to come.
Lubit describes the underpinnings of such familiar types as the narcissistic manager, the grandiose manager, the control freak, the paranoid manager, the anti-social manager, the bullying manager, and the list goes on.
His advice is learned yet sensible. Let's say you are coping with the dictatorial manager. This manager is quite benign compared to other toxic managers, Lubit tells us. But we know this manager can also be a hellion for individuals who desire courtesy and consideration in their professional relationships. According to Lubit, the dictatorial manager operates under the mistaken belief that dominating the decision-making process is actually the most time-saving tactic. For that reason, you can approach the issue of dictatorship in a tactful and even effective way by framing it as a discussion about efficiency. "Changing the behavior of dictatorial managers is generally not that difficult," writes Lubit. "If it is, the manager is more than simply dictatorial. Effecting change can usually be accomplished by having superiors encourage the change, providing some executive coaching, and keeping an eye on how the measurement-reward system and messages sent out by senior leadership inadvertently supports dictatorial styles."
A veritable encyclopedia of such unpleasant types, this book is equally valuable in discussing coping skills at work for other serious problems managers and their employees may have encountered, such as anxiety disorder, depression, burnout, bipolar disorder, substance abuse, and more.—Martha Lagace