Get Out of Your Own Way at Work...And Help Others Do the Same: Conquer Self-Defeating Behavior on the Job [Mass Market Paperback]

Mark Goulston (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 3, 2006

The co-author of Get Out of Your Own Way goes on-the-job.

Whether it's a simple breach of etiquette or fear of learning new things, expecting too much from employees or failure to delegate, self-defeating behavior is the most common reason people put their jobs and reputations in jeopardy. In quick, to-the-point chapters, Goulston explains that if a professional does one or more of the following, they're getting in their own way-and limiting their success:

- Expecting thier boss to appreciate them
- Letting fear of failure paralyze them
- Procrastinating and wasting time
- Making excuses and getting defensive
- Failing to delegate
- Fearing performance reviews (either giving them or getting them)

Covering 40 of the most common self-defeating behaviors, this new book shows how to change behaviors-from self-defeating to career-enhancing.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This follow-up to 1996's Get Out of Your Own Way diagnoses 40 business situations in which workers exhibit symptoms of self-defeating behavior, from "Not Being Able to Take No for an Answer" and "Being Competent but Out of Touch" to "Not Delegating" and "Assuming Others Understand You." Goulston's focus, however, is not on workplace effectiveness but on "earning self-esteem-and its twin sister, success." He devotes a chapter to each workplace issue: first, highlighting a case study that refers to a client from his consulting practice or, tangentially, to one of his hospital patients and, then, explaining how to remedy the behavior. In addition, each chapter is topped off with an aphoristic "Usable Insight" and a to-do list of "Action Steps." People are inclined to commit "hari-kari at work," Goulston says, because of "fearful aggression" and "fearful avoidance," two traits that he traces back to humans' "early-neural, unthinking, animal nature." While his insights are pedestrian-his advice can be boiled down to "be more self-aware"-the structure of the book makes it easy to cherry pick chapters that may apply to you.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Corporate consultant Mark Goulston, M.D., has helped Fortune 500 executives, managers, and line workers achieve success. Selected as one of America's top psychiatrists for 2004-2005, he writes "The Leading Edge" column for Fast Company magazine, is an expert commentator, and co-authored Get Out of Your Own Way.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Perigee Trade (October 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399532854
• ISBN-13: 978-0399532856
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #953,514 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Over his career as an organizational consultant, relationship counselor, and hostage-negotiation trainer, Mark Goulston has found what works, consistently, to reach all kinds of people in any type of situation.

In his latest book, "Just Listen," Dr. Goulston shares his trusted set of communication techniques and the key to their incredible effectiveness. As he explains, his methods succeed because they create traction, rather than resistance. "That is," as Dr. Goulston simply puts it, "they pull people toward me, even if those people are trying to pull away."

Dr. Goulston demonstrates through a wide range of workplace and relationship-related scenarios, mirroring what others are feeling naturally works wonders to break down their mental barriers and open the way to winning their attention, trust, cooperation, and loyalty.

Mark Goulston is a psychiatrist, business consultant, executive coach, and a hostage-negotiation trainer for the FBI. A bestselling author whose books include Get Out of Your Own Way and Get Out of Your Own Way at Work, he writes a column on leadership for Fast Company as well as a syndicated column, "Solve Anything with Dr. Mark," for Tribune Media Services. Frequently called upon to share his expertise with the media, he has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Fortune, Newsweek, Time, and Reuters; has offered commentary on NPR, CNN, and Fox News; and has appeared on the Oprah and Today shows. He lives in Los Angeles, California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars superficial treatment of the issues, March 15, 2006

By 

David McCormick (Acton, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Get Out of Your Own Way at Work... and Help Others Do the Same: Conquering Self-Defeating Behavior on the Job (Hardcover)

I heard the author on a podcast and thought that what he had to say was interesting and relevant to identifying and changing self-defeating behaviors in a work environment. I think that the behaviors that he identifies in each chapter are relevant self-defeating behaviors and the writing is clear. However, I have been disappointed with this book for several reasons. Firstly, I think that the remedies proposed for each behavior are superficial prescriptions. For example, effetive delegation requires not just identifying a task to be delegated, but a multi-step process of identifying the task, explaining the task to the delegee, getting mutual agreement on what needs to be done, the time to complete the task, the resources availalble to complete it, and the expected standards at completion. No such framework is laid out. This is true of all the chapters in the book. Secondly, this would not be so bad if the author pointed the reader at other books or resources to flesh out these ideas. However, the book has no index and no bibliography or suggested references. This is an unpardonable sin in publishing, to my mind. No references and no index bespeaks a book rushed to market. Either that, or it's a tactic to get the author to consult to companies to give the specific information on how to remedy the behaviors.

I hope some of these criticisms can be addressed if there is to be a second edition of the book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Peter Drucker was right, October 30, 2005

By 

Marshall Goldsmith "Helping successul people ... (Rancho Santa Fe, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Get Out of Your Own Way at Work... and Help Others Do the Same: Conquering Self-Defeating Behavior on the Job (Hardcover)

Peter Drucker has said "Half of the leaders that I meet don't need to learn what to DO - they need to learn what to STOP"!
Mark Goulston provides great insight into what we often need to learn to STOP doing. More importantly, he gives us some great guidelines on how to do this!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Talks you through your self-defeating behaviors, November 18, 2005

By 

Working stiff (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Get Out of Your Own Way at Work... and Help Others Do the Same: Conquering Self-Defeating Behavior on the Job (Hardcover)

I read the the 40 chapters on self-defeating behaviors before I read the introduction to this book (I often read books that way due to my impatience). Goulston has an interesting spin on how and why we develop self-defeating behaviors which relates to how our support system responded to us when we faced challenges in childhood. He explains that our parents could have spoiled, criticized, neglected or supported us through those situations and that has a lot to do with whether we developed self-defeating or success developing behaviors (makes sense to me when I think of my upbringing). What I found most interesting after I read the introduction was realizing that Goulston was talking me through my self-defeating behaviors the way the supportive parent (I never had) would have. It was very therapeutic. Thank you Dr. Mark.