Taming the Abrasive Manager: How to End Unnecessary Roughness in the Workplace

By Laura Crawshaw

Book Overview

Taming the Abrasive Manager is an ideal resource for managers, human resource professionals, coaches, and anyone who works for or with an abrasive boss. Executive coach Dr. Laura Crawshaw-- known as the Boss Whisperer for her work in this field--shares her discoveries on how to tame the deep fears that drive abrasive managers to attack their coworkers. In her straight-shooting style, Crawshaw offers invaluable insights gained from her encounters with abrasive bosses in corporate jungles who aggressively defend against threats to their dominance in the high-risk business of survival. These insights, combined with lessons learned from employees and organizations who have successfully reined in their unmanageable bosses, provide realistic solutions that will improve the workplace for everyone.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0787988375
• ISBN13: 9780787988371
• Release Date: September 2007
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.2" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Excellent resource on abrasive managers

Dr. Crawshaw's book offers a unique approach to targeting solutions for abrasive boss behavior. Taken from her extensive research in the field on management and workplace bullying, this book is a departure from traditional works on bully bosses by focusing on the root causes of why some managers resort to destructive interpersonal aggression in their management styles. Dr. Crawshaw walks you through her approach to coaching abrasive managers, and offers techniques for getting abrasive bosses to acknowledge their abrasive behavior, care enough to abandon it, and learn positive management strategies. The book offers techniques and insights that anyone, especially internal corporate practitioners, can utilize to intervene with abrasive executives, managers, and supervisors to motivate them to change their behavior.. Dr. Crawshaw's tone is realistic and reflects her expertise in developing empathy in abrasive leaders to improve their interactions with coworkers.

Excellent Ideas for Taming Nasty People

This is the best book I've read about the steps that leaders, facilitators, and consultants can take to deal with nasty and demeaning managers. I especially like how Crashaw uses specific examples of the kinds of language that these bullies use, and presents samples of conversations to illustrate the most effective way to "tame" these destructive jerks. Robert Sutton [...

Every Person Who Works in an Organization NEEDS this book

Having worked as a human resource professional in an international corporation for over a decade, I was immensely impressed by this book. Crawshaw tells you exactly how to intervene with abrasive bosses from the management perspective - how to confront them and curb their behavior without getting dragged into endless defensive debates. The book is very easy to read and her approach is extremely effective. Crawshaw takes a difficult subject and gives us hope that we can "tame" these managers sensitively and professionally by following her realistic, practical, and insightful advice. This book should be required reading for all HR types and people who end up managing abrasive managers. Judy Hochberg, PhD, MBA

For anyone who has ever worked for a abrasive manager!

Dr. Crawshaw gives a powerful overview of what most workers have experienced at least once in their career. The concise descriptions of what is going on in these a-holes minds gives powerful tools to deal with these types of managers. Easy to read, informative and entertaining. Highly recommended.