Stop Pissing Me Off: What to Do When the People You Work with Drive You Crazy

It's refreshing to see yet another book that comes right out and hollers to the business world: "I'm really getting pissed, and I'm not going to take it any more!" Thanks to the great 1976 movie, "Network" for inspiring that opening line. I can still hear Peter Finch bellowing out his disenchantment with the madness of life from over 30 years ago, but I'm afraid things have gotten far worse; especially in the world of big business. Just the cover and title alone could make this book a best-seller. It caught my eye, and now they've got another happy customer, although the advice is more whimsical than pragmatic; but it was a delight to read, because I'm sure so many of us have had similar experiences just trying to cope with life in any sort of business endeavor, where all those stupid people invariably keep pissing us off. Is there no end to the madness? The message is quite clear; people will do stupid or malicious things that will piss you off. The key is to rationalize the best strategy for warding off these valued team members. It seems the best strategy is to keep a nice file of documentation, just in case you may need to defend yourself somewhere down the road. Of course, the best defense for dealing with the pisser-offers is to look at them blankly, and mutter something vague, while shooing them off like a housefly. Nothing gets under the skin of people like that better than making them feel totally powerless against your calm demeanor. Maybe they'll even learn from their transgressoins and become an ally, working in harmony with you and the few other sane people in your office, creating a positive and productive environment. Or not. Either way, at least you've got the training manual at hand to help guide you through the next wave of incompetent and loathsome colleagues. I think keeping a sense of humor helps. Eventually, most of those people will fall by the wayside, because inevitably, they're going to piss off the wrong person, sooner or later. Then they can find another bunch of co-workers to piss off; but hopefully, that new bunch will be prepared for the assault.

Books. I bought this book for my daughter-in-law, who has not reported back on it yet. However, when I read it, I thought it presented very positive ways to resolve some of the issues I have heard her mention.

If Lynne Eisaguirre isn't the Suze Orman of the workplace, she's pretty darn close. Just check the table of contents -- hilarious stuff for those of us who are currently job-challenged. The writing is smart and funny, tells you things you didn't know. But maybe the best part are the stories -- nothing radical here, but I found myself turning the pages just to find out what happened next in the story of some poor Joe caught up in a bad hair day on the job. Really found this book to deliver.

I thought this was an acceptional book. I walked away thinking, yes lets all be "adults at work". If you are willing to accept responsibility for yourself you will enjoy this book. Useful ideas for things you can change, realize when you can't change things and accepting when it's time to move on. Realistic this book should be read by "everyone in the workplace today!" I shared it with my boss (the CEO of our company) I'm excited to see what he thinks. It is a must read.

In some ways, this is just another example of a competent but unexceptional book on how to succeed in the office. Understand your fellow employee, work hard but don't be a workaholic, know the line between private and business matters. Where the book stands out is in its clear and careful description of the prerogatives of a boss, or as Eisaguirre calls it, "The Employer's Bill of Rights." Here are a couple of sentences that you won't see in most 21st-century business books: "As long as what you're asking your employees to do isn't illegal, immoral, or unethical, they must do what you ask. Otherwise, it's insubordination." The author does not recommend authoritarianism but does make it clear that from a legal, moral, and practical point of view, the "boss" has significant prerogatives. Both bosses and non-bosses need to understand this.