The Anxious Organization: Why Smart Companies Do Dumb Things [Paperback]

Jeffrey Miller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 5, 2002

This fascinating book sheds new light on all workplace interactions, from the dance of office politics to client relationships.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Facts On Demand Press; 1 edition (November 5, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1889150339
• ISBN-13: 978-1889150338
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,822,516 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you need to work, you need to read this book., December 16, 2002

By 

"ericasil" (Waltham, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Anxious Organization: Why Smart Companies Do Dumb Things (Paperback)

The examples in this book are so true to life that I instantly recognized characters and conflicts in every chapter. Once I started reading (and it's extremely readable), I began to notice "anxious dynamics" everywhere, just as the author describes them -- in meetings, in office relationships, even in myself. And I've already seen more than once how his suggestions for breaking the anxiety chain can turn an ugly situation around. I recommend this book for everyone who works and especially for those in the ever-so-anxious business of advertising.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Corporate politics in a new light . . ., January 24, 2006

By 

Dave Kinnear "Executive Leader Coach" (Lake Forest, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Anxious Organization: Why Smart Companies Do Dumb Things (Paperback)

This book was recommended by a colleague, CEO of a manufacturing company, with whom I do some exponential thinking from time to time. I can see why he enjoyed reading this straightforward look at internal corporate politics. Miller builds a new model for understanding what is sometimes a very perplexing problem - decoding why people respond the way they do in a given situation.

What I found interesting in Miller's model is that he requires us to "look at ourselves" as part of the stress delivery system in the organization. "If a situation is making you anxious, then there's a question in there somewhere that is yours alone to answer." Miller explains how we all set up triangles to get our way or to spread out the anxiousness so that we don't have so much to handle ourselves. "Learning to manage your own behavior in triangles is probably the single most important thing you can learn about handling workplace politics." So I found this model for understanding why smart companies do smart things to be useful.

What makes the book very readable is the use of stories to illustrate the points being made. The stories are familiar to anyone who has worked in or around large organizations. The layout of the book is also helpful in that each chapter ends with a summary of the major points made. Miller's book is a worthwhile quick read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What's an Organization?, August 27, 2008

By 

Yvonne Parnes "critic extraordinaire" (Batavia , OH) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Anxious Organization: Why Smart Companies Do Dumb Things (Paperback)

What's an organization ? Your family,the Little League team, the PTA, your condo board, the doctors office, even the beauty parlor. All present anxieties.
This informative and well constructed book offers insight to dealing with little recognized but provoking anxieties, applicable in everyday life. A valuable addition to your library that will be insightful and useful.