Toxic Coworkers and What to do About Them

Jerks at Work

Tessa West's strategies can help anyone reduce the impact of [a work jerk's] behaviour

Who doesn't want to know how to manage the other idiots better? Or at least not murder them. This is the office survival guide I wish I'd read when I first started work. It's never too late to be a jerk whisperer. Essential reading.

Viv Groskop, author of How to Own the Room

This book provides the key to working smarter, better and happier, no matter who you're working with.

Nir Eyal, author of Hooked and Indistractable

Most of your happiness at work is based on personal relationships. Being able to manage those relationships when things get difficult is key to your success at work - and in life. Jerks at Work is a practical and engaging set of tools. Buy it.

Reading Jerks at Work is like listening to a real person who is smart, warm, and funny, and who I'd like to have a glass of wine with. That's unusual for any business or self-help author to achieve-from a scientist it's practically a miracle. This book basically has it all. I'm going to make it mandatory reading for everyone on my team. We all need this book.

Heidi Grant, PhD, author of Nine Things Successful People Do Differently

Tessa West is a star in the field of social psychology. She's a stellar thinker, writer, and speaker, and Jerks at Work is poised to be a hit. We've all encountered a kiss-up-kick-down coworker, a micromanaging boss, or a workplace liar, and West explains what makes them tick, and how to prevent them from making the majority of our waking lives a nightmare.

Adam Alter, author of Drunk Tank Pink and Irresistible

Jerks at Work is a breezy and fun read for anyone who wants happier and healthier relationships at work. Tessa West puts a name to the types of jerks that can make your work life miserable, while also giving practical advice for how to spot them and how to disarm them. This a book you will refer back to again and again.

You never know when a jerk is going to get in the way of your success, but with Jerks at Work you can finally protect yourself. This book is career insurance!

Tessa West combines easy-to-apply tips with relatable, funny, and shocking stories that will have you taking notes. Anyone regardless of industry or level will benefit from Jerks at Work.

Jonah Berger, author of Contagious and The Catalyst

Step back and rejoice, because Tessa West has done something rare and incredible with Jerks at Work. She has condensed and translated incredible insights from her experience as a psychologist, along with decades of relevant research, to create a fun, funny, and functional handbook for how to use science to make your job suck less whether behind your desk, in a conference room, or working from home.

Dave McRaney, author of You’re Not So Smart

Funny and sharp, with great stories and wise and scientifically grounded advice, Jerks at Work is a life-saver for anyone who has to deal with difficult people at work-which includes just about everyone!

Paul Bloom, Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto and author of The Sweet Spot

It's hard to believe that a book so insightful about how we can flourish at work is also this funny and raw.

Eli J. Finkel, Professor of Psychology at Northwestern University

Tessa West is an Associate Professor of Psychology at New York University. A leading expert on interpersonal interaction and communication, and quantitative analysis and statistics, her work has been covered in the New York Times, The Guardian, the WSJ, TIME, the Huffington Post and The Globe and Mail. 
 
Her experiences as a rising leader in the world of academia - often as the only woman, and youngest person in the role by a magnitude of decades - have given her a unique perspective on jerks at work. She regularly gives talks to global organisations including Capital One, KPMG, Gilead and Pfizer, to help employees improve their relationships.

Want to get those difficult colleagues off your back and restore your sanity? NYU psychology professor Tessa West shows you how. 
 
Have you ever watched a colleague charm the pants off management while showing a competitive, Machiavellian side to the lower ranks? They don't hesitate to throw peers under the bus, but their boss is oblivious to their bad behaviour. What about a constantly interrupting colleague? Or an over-bearing manager? While these jerks stress us out in small ways throughout the day, they aren't technically breaking any rules, so we're expected just to put up with them. 
 
...Until now. Tessa West has already helped thousands of people resolve their most pressing workplace issues. And here she draws on a decade of original research to profile classic workplace archetypes, including the Gaslighter, the Bulldozer, the Credit-Stealer, the Neglecter, and the Micromanager, giving advice to anyone who's ever hidden in the bathroom to cry at work. She digs deep into the inner workings of each bad apple, exploring their motivations and insecurities, and offers clever strategies for stopping each type of jerk in their tracks. 
 
Know a Jerk at Work? This proactive approach reveals the single, most effective way to achieve emotional wellbeing at work.

Tessa West

This is not just a book; it's a career lifeline for those looking to find - or reignite - the passion that fuels their professional lives.

Charles Duhigg, author of bestsellers Supercommunicators and The Power of Habit

Work can help you recover from trauma - or it can cause trauma. Which is your job doing? Job Therapy can help you figure it out and make a plan for a brighter future.

Kim Scott, New York Times bestselling author of Radical Candor

In Job Therapy, Tessa West, one of psychological science&rsquo;s brightest stars, brilliantly diagnoses the common work issues we face and provides actionable, science-based solutions to address them.

Ethan Kross, international bestselling author of Chatter

Job Therapy is a valuable tool. It's a must-read for anyone feeling dissatisfied with their job and wondering what they should do next.

Nir Eyal, bestselling author of Indistractable and Hooked

Like a good therapy session, Job Therapy will help you understand why you're unhappy in your job. If you want to find work that excites and fulfils you, this incisive book is your holy grail!

Vanessa Van Edwards, bestselling author of Cues and Captivate

A powerful, science-packed tool for increasing happiness at work.

Jonah Berger, Wharton Professor and bestselling author of Contagious and The Catalyst

Job Therapy is the consummate manual for mending less-than-ideal jobs, and Tessa West is a superb guide. Highly recommended!

Adam Alter, New York Times bestselling author of Anatomy of a Breakthrough and Irresistible

This empowering, science-backed handbook will help you better understand your relationship with your job and how to improve it.

Katy Milkman, bestselling author of How to Change

Job Therapy is an engrossing and practical guide to finding more fulfilling work that acknowledges career advice shouldn't be one size fits all. Let Tessa West be the couples therapist for your relationship with work.

Simone Stolzoff, author of The Good Enough Job

Finding Work That Works for You

When we think about changing jobs, we turn to traditional career advice that focuses on skills, qualifications, and interviewing techniques. We tend to ask ourselves, &ldquo;Do I want to move from a full-time to a part-time job? Do I want to leave my company and start my own business?&rdquo; But this line of thinking doesn&rsquo;t get to the heart of the problem&mdash;why you&rsquo;ve been so unhappy at work in the first place. What if, instead, we asked ourselves a different question: &ldquo;What psychological needs aren&rsquo;t being met now that need to be met in my next job?&rdquo; 
 
In Job Therapy, Dr. Tessa West helps you turn inwards to identify the psychological reasons why you are unsatisfied, whether you&rsquo;re having an identity crisis at work, your job has changed so dramatically you don&rsquo;t recognise it anymore, or you aren&rsquo;t receiving recognition for your contribution. 
 
Whether you&rsquo;ve only just entered the workplace or considering your final move, Job Therapy will help you identify and land your best role yet, one that&rsquo;s deeply rooted in a clear sense of self.

Tessa West

Praise for Job Therapy

This is not just a book; it's a career lifeline for those looking to find - or reignite - the passion that fuels their professional lives.

**Work can help you recover from trauma - or it can cause trauma. Which is your job doing? Job Therapy can help you figure it out and make a plan for a brighter future.**

**In Job Therapy, Tessa West, one of psychological science’s brightest stars, brilliantly diagnoses the common work issues we face and provides actionable, science-based solutions to address them.**

This is not just a book; it's a career lifeline for those looking to find - or reignite - the passion that fuels their professional lives.

**Work can help you recover from trauma - or it can cause trauma. Which is your job doing? Job Therapy can help you figure it out and make a plan for a brighter future.**

**In Job Therapy, Tessa West, one of psychological science’s brightest stars, brilliantly diagnoses the common work issues we face and provides actionable, science-based solutions to address them.**

This is not just a book; it's a career lifeline for those looking to find - or reignite - the passion that fuels their professional lives.

**Work can help you recover from trauma - or it can cause trauma. Which is your job doing? Job Therapy can help you figure it out and make a plan for a brighter future.**

**In Job Therapy, Tessa West, one of psychological science’s brightest stars, brilliantly diagnoses the common work issues we face and provides actionable, science-based solutions to address them.**

Books by Tessa West

Videos

Psychologist Tessa West Breaks Down Bad Bosses in Films & TV

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