Synopses & Reviews
Everyone knows someone who is impossible to please, critical, judgmental, picky, and stubbornly closed-minded. These are symptoms of a disorder called obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), but its common for people to have subclinical levels of some or all of these qualities. Most of the time, its best to avoid the difficult to please person, but what happens when he or she is a close family member, coworker, or even a spouse? Its still possible to maintain a positive relationship with the right tools. Impossible to Please, written by the authors of Toxic Coworkers, is a manual for dealing with these difficult people without sitting through stressful arguments, vicious insults and attacks, and passive-aggressive behavior. It empowers readers to take charge of the relationship and regain their dignity and confidence in interactions with these individuals.
This book features specific strategies that are immediately effective when conversing with critical people and explains how readers can respond to unfair blame without becoming angry or overly defensive. By setting boundaries, improving communication, and asserting themselves, readers learn to deal with the impossible to please in romantic relationships, friendships, family, and work relationships.
Review
“Toxic Coworkers helps us make sense of work relationships that defy logic and consume our day. It is the perfect tool to help us understand and manage difficult people, the result of which is increased productivity and decreased frustration on the job.”
– Heidi Remak, M.A., CEAP, Manager, EAP, Lucent Technologies
Review
“In the tradition of Robert Ringer’s Winning Through Intimidation and Wayne Dyer’s Your Erroneous Zones, Cavaiola and Lavender have made a big leap forward in showing how important psychological insights and principles can be readily applied to everyday problems in the workplace. From now on I’ll be handing frustrated employees, administrators, and executives a copy of Toxic Coworkers, an dI’ll feel confident that they will have a powerful tool for dealing with the dysfunctional people and warped behavior they encounter on the job.”
—Dr. Robert J. Phillips, President, Corporate Extension Services, Providing Organizational Development, Team-building, Personnel Problem Resolutions, and Executive Coaching
Review
"Cavaiola and Lavender have done it again! They have given us another perfect combination of psychological science and real-life applications to provide a highly readable guide to living and working with people who drive us crazy. Alive with examples and suggestions, this book is not only perfect for counselors and therapists, but also for anyone who deals with controlling perfectionists at home or on the job.”
Richard Ponton, PhD, associate professor at Georgian Court University in Lakewood, New Jersey
Review
Impossible to Please is a candid, informative, and thought-provoking study of the controlling perfectionist. Lavender and Cavaiola illuminate our understanding of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder while providing suggested actions for dealing effectively with these individuals at home, at work, and in the community.”
Suzanne D. Mudge, PhD, associate professor and program coordinator of counseling and guidance at Texas A&M University
Review
After being in managerial and leadership positions for over 40 years, I wish I could say that I never had to deal with a perfectionist personality. Unfortunately, that is not the case. I have had experiences with toxic coworkers and, to say the least, they were indeed troublesome. Drs. Lavender and Cavaiolas first book, Toxic Coworkers, was of great help during these trying times. Like their other books, Impossible to Please is filled with wisdom and insights into this challenging area. I strongly recommend this most practical and applicable book.”
Louis A. Scheidt, PE, PP, president and CEO of Innovative Engineering, Inc.
Synopsis
We've all worked with someone "difficult," someone who could always be trusted to blow up to space out or do or say something wildly inappropriate. As it happens, those of us who concluded "the guy's just nuts" were right: a fair number of those impossible-to-get-along-with employees actually do have full-fledged personality disorders. In Toxic Coworkers, the authors help us to recognize a variety of common personality traits and disorders, understand how they come about, and learn to develop effective strategies for dealing with them. So the next time the narcissist who runs the front desk is bugging you, or you need to squeeze a favor out of the schizoid who handles inventory, you'll know exactly what to do.
Synopsis
We've all worked with someone difficult, someone who could always be trusted to blow up or space out or do or say something off the wall or otherwise wildly inappropriate. This book shows you how to recognize common personality traits and personality disorders and learn how to develop effective strategies for dealing with them when you encounter them on the job.
Synopsis
This juicy read is the first book that shows readers how to identify and effectively deal with a coworker who has a full-fledged personality disorder.
Synopsis
We’ve all worked with someone “difficult,” someone who could always be trusted to blow up to space out or do or say something wildly inappropriate. As it happens, those of us who concluded “the guy’s just nuts” were right: a fair number of those impossible-to-get-along-with employees actually do have full-fledged personality disorders. In Toxic Coworkers, the authors help us to recognize a variety of common personality traits and disorders, understand how they come about, and learn to develop effective strategies for dealing with them. So the next time the narcissist who runs the front desk is bugging you, or you need to squeeze a favor out of the schizoid who handles inventory, you’ll know exactly what to do.
Synopsis
From the authors of Toxic Coworkers comes Impossible to Please, a guide to communicating with and understanding coworkers, partners, and family members who are stubborn, critical, perfectionistic, and judgmental. These qualities are associated with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD).
About the Author
Neil J. Lavender, PhD, is professor of psychology at Ocean County College in New Jersey where he also maintains a private practice. He is coauthor of Toxic Coworkers. Neil, who is also an avid blogger, resides in Beachwood, NJ.
Alan A. Cavaiola, PhD, is a professor and member of the graduate faculty in the department of psychological counseling at Monmouth University. He is also a licensed psychologist and clinical alcohol and drug counselor. He is also the coauthor of Toxic Coworkers.
Table of Contents