Synopses & Reviews
As Kurt Vonnegut once said, “True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country.”
When it comes down to it, workæwith its know-it-alls, gossips, and brown-nosersæis a lot like high school. This clever and useful book helps readers identify and better communicate with these and other common types we all remember from the days when report cards, not business reports, were our concern, and when the big social event was the prom, not the company picnic.
You dont need to dig out your yearbook to get a glimpse of these typesæjust take a look around your office: the Teachers Pet, the Player, the Cheerleader, the Go-Getter, the Underachiever, the Class Clown, and many more.
With wit and uncanny accuracy, corporate coaches Wilma Davidson and Jack Dougherty outline all the members of the “class,” offering tips on working efficiently with each type, whether theyre your boss, your client, or a colleague. The book also delivers advice on handling authority, conformity, looks, popularity, “sex education,” and other indignities from high school that live on in the workplace.
Whether youre still the same as you were in high school, a combination of types, or a reformed Rebel turned Class President, you will delight in and learn from this unique guide.
Review
"A useful guide."
--Newsweek
Synopsis
A fun and practical guide that explains, once and for all, how work is like high school (with bigger desks). This clever and useful book helps readers identify and remember the days when term papers, not business reports, were the assignments.
Synopsis
Meet a Few Members of the “Class”
The “A” Student: Theyre the ones at the meeting who prepared their key points in advance, wrote a summary for the boss, and brought stacks of backup data.
The Jock: Literally muscling their way into conversations and situations, they have a relaxed speech pattern and favor sports analogies.
The Cheater: Charming and sly with language, theyre always selling the big idea—yours!
The Geek: With enviable IQs and an amazing capacity to understand highly technical, complicated material, they rely on the facts to communicate their message.
The Snob: Theyre elegant speakers and writers who try to project cultivated taste, exclusivity, and status.
The Party Animal: With an affable nature and innate verbal skills, theyre the ones who plan after-work get-togethers, birthday parties, summer outings, and any other excuse to party.
Synopsis
"True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school clas is running the country."
--Kurt Vonnegut
When it comes down to it, work-with its brown-nosers, know-it-alls, and gossips-is a lot like high school. With wit and uncanny accuracy, Wilma Davidson and Jack Dougherty present and analyze the common personality types we're all familiar with from the high school cafeteria who now reside in the workplace to help you identify and better communicate with each type.
Looking for insight on how to work best with your boss, get along with a troublesome colleague, or present yourself at the office? This fun and practical guide offers crib notes for getting along-and getting ahead-amidst the bullies, cheerleaders, and other members of "the Class," For example:
-If your supervisor is an A Student, mirror his work ethic
-If your client is a Complainer, be proactive in solving any problems
-If your colleague is a Bully, stand your ground
Complete with advice on handling authority, popularity, conformity, and other concerns from high school that live on in the workplace, this delightful guide will entertain and educate.
About the Author
Wilma Davidson, president of Davidson & Associates, a communications consulting firm, has advised a wide range of people from Fortune 500 companies, educational groups, government agencies, and professional organizations on how to put their best foot forward—in writing and in person. She is the author of
Business Writing and resides in Longboat Key, Florida.
Communications strategist Jack Dougherty is president of Dougherty Dialectic, a specialty consulting firm. He helps Fortune 500 companies and law firms communicate complex information to the public. He lives in San Francisco, California.