Neanderthals at Work - Softcover

Bernstein, Albert J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0345410343 ISBN 13: 9780345410344

Publisher: Ballantine Books, 1996

Synopsis

Suffer in silence no more. Now, from the authors of the bestselling Dinosaur Brains, here is a witty, informative, and devilishly. perceptive look at the club-wielding, cave-dwelling boneheads who can make life in the office so miserable. With the plainspeaking, success-oriented advice of Neanderthals at Work, you can rise above primitive behavior and take the evolutionary leap into an enlightened and more productive workplace. Once you learn to undo the first rule of Neanderthal thinking -- Us vs. Them -- you'll quickly identify these stone-age throwbacks and begin to deal with them effectively:

Competitors -- To them, if you're not a Winner you're a Loser. Rebels -- Creative innovators, they always avoid the three Ps: paperwork, politics, and people problems.

Believers -- They work hard, follow the rules, and never get promoted.

Whether your goal is getting ahead or just coexisting peacefully, this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to survive and thrive in the ultra-competitive workplace of the 1990s.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

"You'll come away from every chapter with valuable insights. Best of all, you'll learn how not to be a victim of Neanderthal-like conditions."

-- Stephen R. Covey

Author of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

"The only way to get ahead is to figure out the hidden rules that determine how your organization really works. And to do that, a good place to start is with Neanderthals at Work."

-- Associated Press

From Kirkus Reviews:

Bernstein and Rozen advance from their popular self-helper, Dinosaur Brains (1989), and the result is an avuncular, honest guide through the workplace. For some, corporate life is an involving challenge; for many others, it's a series of enervating insults. The authors have figured out why and, for those among the offended, what might be done to improve things. They divide all the gall producers into three models. There are the ``Rebels,'' cool and above the rules- -and never progressing. There are the ``Believers,'' highly motivated and devoted to all the rules--and never progressing. Then there are the ``Competitors,'' the warrior caste who can never be less than number one: ``It's against their religion,'' we are told. They are always progressing. (The authors never hint that there may be a fourth type. But, then, simple, incompetent Dorks don't want to be called that when they buy books, do they?) Each of the three archetypes is driven crazy by the others. And each is competent, of course, but just doesn't understand what makes the others go. With the accustomed paraphernalia of such manuals--pep talks, quizzes, and little morality plays--anxious readers will learn to identify themselves, those who work for them, and, most importantly, those who hold them in their power. Suggestions for coping are set forth. The repertory troupe of fictional characters (including one tyrant called ``Bronson'') may be onstage a bit too long, but they may also strike a familiar chord or two. Business myths are dismantled. The Bottom Line, no myth, is where it's at--where all the Competitors meet. And anyone can join them there. Just forget the need for praise and the fear of failure. Learn the unspoken rules and the corporate rituals. Here's the way the business world works, described in a superior self-helper that actually gets down to business. -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

About this edition

• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0345410343
• ISBN 13: 9780345410344
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 283