From Difficult to Disturbed: Understanding and Managing Dysfunctional Employees

by Laurence Miller

Book Overview

Nationally syndicated career columnist Joyce Lain Kennedy's ten best career books for 2007 How does an already busy manager deal with people whose personalities are difficult or even seriously... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0814409229
• ISBN13: 9780814409220
• Release Date: June 1997
• Publisher: AMACOM/American Management Association
• Length: 241 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.4" x 9.1"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

An important acquisition.

In order to properly motivate employees, it's good to have a basic understanding of human psychology and how it operates in the business environment: linking these two disciplines is From Difficult to Disturbed: Understanding and Managing Dysfunctional Employees. Here are applied principles of psychology at their best, pairing real-world people-problems offices face with tips on how the manage issues. Psychological types are placed into categories for this purpose ("Emoters and Reactors", "Oddballs and Spoilers", "Preeners and Predators") with specific tips on handling each type. Any business library - and many a general lending collection - will find this an important acquisition. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

"I Didn't Think It Would Be Useful, but..."

I have found over the years that it is not fellow employees but supervisors, managers, and administrators that were the source of most if not all workplace difficulties. Elevated to supervisory positions, most were not trained nor, frankly, did they have the temperment or skill to manage others. I didn't think this book would be helpful for me until I browsed it. It looks hard at "bosses" too with the same sharp lens. Dr. Miller writes with humor and verve. He is grounded in the science and the art. A great read!

Boss' Best Book

From Difficult to Disturbed: Understanding and Managing Dysfunctional Employees The only book that explains the root causes of employee's problems. As any difficulty, you cannot find an effective solution if you don't understand what is really happening. This lucid work will be your best friend and save you tons of heartache.

Industrial psychology for the layman

Dr. Miller has succeeded in writing a book that is relevant to every manager and every business that employs people! It would be impossible not to find a description of your staff member in this book. Almost every described employee type will ring a bell to most managers.I have shown this book to a number of managers working in my university and each responded the same way-"..hey the dr. is describing my problem employee!.." It is also fun to read as the dr's writing style reflects both his knowledge and sense of humor. The book is written in "plain english" and is successful in its attempt to communicate and educate managers about dealing with their problem employees. The analysis and advice is clear,concise and helpful.Dr. Miller's book should be required reading for all managers and we are in fact considering using the book, "From Difficult to Disturbed" as a key text in our managerial training programs here. Your company should too!

Are the people you work with difficult or disturbed?

Ever wonder why dealing with co-workers can be among THE most stressful part of your life? Some of them are just hard to get along with while others have real mental problems. Dr. Laurence Miller explains to us why the people we work with are contributing to a more difficult workplace environment. This book, based upon solid personality and clinical psychological research and Dr. Miller's own clinical experience, reads like a riveting novel that you won't be able to put down until you're done identifying all the people you work with. More importantly, you'll learn what makes them tick and successful ways - not to work around them - but to work with them by capitalizing on their strengths and downplaying the factors that make them difficult and disturbing. A must-read for any kind of office, factory, school, public-service department, business - in short, I couldn't think of one type of work environment where Dr. Miller's book can't be used to enhance the quality of life and increase job satisfaction. I know this will be a best-seller and a classic text!