Toxic Coworkers: How to Deal with Dysfunctional People on the Job

by Alan A. Cavaiola

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 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.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Relationships

207 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2000

About the author

Alan A. Cavaiola, PhD, LPC, LCADC is a full Professor and a member of the Graduate Faculty at Monmouth University (West Long Branch, NJ) where he serves as Director of the Addiction Studies program. Dr. Cavaiola also served as an Associate Editor of the journal Substance Abuse from 2013 to 2018. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the International Coalition of Substance Abuse Educators (INCASE) from 2014 to the present. Dr. Cavaiola has co-authored several books including: Assessment and Treatment of DWI Offenders, Crisis Intervention: A Practical Guide and Crisis Intervention Case Book. In addition, Dr. Cavaiola has authored several scholarly research publications and has presented his research as several national and international conferences. Prior to beginning his teaching career, Dr. Cavaiola served as the clinical director of addiction treatment programs at Monmouth Medical Center that included an inpatient adolescent treatment program as well as adult outpatient services.

Reviews

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this a few years ago when I thought I was going crazy because someone else's psychosis in the workplace was so severe that it projected itself into every aspect of my life. It grounds you if you are dealing with a situation that is manipulative bordering on scary.

I think this is a great overview of the scary underbelly of that REALLY difficult coworker. It has an ominous title with an equally "Steven King" type cover (much more dramatic than necessary) but gets to the heart of what is going on psychologically with someone when reason and common sense are no longer working. Perhaps a good bit of armchair psychology married with self help advice, it still gives a good examination of what might be going on (sometimes serious issues) with someone you are working with that makes you feel like there is an actual psychological condition going on...somehow making sense of the madness. Most importantly, advice that actually WORKS (at least in my case) of how to communicate with someone who seemed unreachable before. I spoke with a psychologist who read this book who thought it was accurate and a good reference for the layperson in need of insight into seemingly bizarre behavior. I found this book worth its weight in gold for what I needed at the time.

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alan A. Cavaiola and Neil J. Lavender co-write a guide to common personality disorder types and how colleagues's personalities can manifest in workplace situations. Each chapter begins with a DSM-IV definition, it follows with applications to workplace interactions with advisors, colleagues, and subordinates, before concluding with recommendations for mediating personality differences. While some readers might be dissatisfied with each chapter's brevity, other readers seeking a simple guide to generalizable workplace communication issues might be satisfied.

[Jerod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book at the suggestion of another professional in 2016. 2015/2016 were incredibly challenging years for many of us at work, but mix that with a plethora of strong personalities, and you have a recipe for disaster. This book is great, it breaks down different mindsets and even mental illnesses, and teaches you to categorize those toxic people in your life. Sounds simple, but this small task is helpful in flushing those people from your life and focusing on your own improvement.

[Khaironi Ghazali · Rating 5 out of 5]

According to the review, most of the positive workers dislike to mix with toxic coclique

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some decent tips.

[Duane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled across this book when I went into a coffee shop and then wandered into the inevitable adjacent bookstore. I just started in reading it and you could hear me yell "HOLY CRAP!" all over the bookstore when I got to the section on "Schizoid Personality Disorder". It was a *perfect* description of our manager, whose bizarre, disconnected behavior was just sort of tacitly accepted by everyone around him. ( And we're talking *weapons grade* weird, here... for instance, when one of our co-workers got murdered and we went to the nutjob's office to give him the news he didn't even look up from his keyboarding... .)

I've used it as a reference since, in trying to finger out what particular species of nutjob I'm dealing with, whether at work or elsewhere. You have to be careful, though - psychology and psychiatry are "inexact" sciences (if they're even sciences) to say the least, and the sikes are constantly changing their minds, from one DSM (per)version to the next, about their nutjob classifications. So you would undoubtedly find someone among them who would disagree with Cavaiola et. al. on nearly anything. But it's invaluable nonetheless, in mapping out a strategy to neutralize whoever is gratuitously wrecking your life at the moment.

[Steven Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting little book. It identifies some basic personality disorders and then speculates on how one might deal with such folks to limit the damage that they might do.

What is a personality disorder? The authors note that (page 4) "Personality disorders are long-standing disturbances in personality that usually begin in late adolescence and continue until adulthood." If the case is not too bad, such workers can be productive; if the disorder is pronounced, then real problems can occur in the workplace.

The disorders include the following: paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal, antisocial, narcissistic, histrionic, borderline, obsessive compulsive, avoidant, dependent, and passive aggressive.

For each, the disorder is described and examples provided. There is also discussion of how one might deal with either superiors or coworkers or subordinates who have one or another of the disorders. Some suggestions appear useful, others seem a little weak.

All in all, an interesting volume to read. See if you can identify any disorders in your workplace!

[Wicked Owl]

To tell you the truth, I had bought this book when I was facing a very toxic colleague. Within a week of purchasing it, that person decided that she will take a sick leave, and the book has been sitting idly on my table. Soon, though, it will be read. After Susan Sontag's "On Photography".

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is best used a reference book. It covers all of the personality disorders as well as some common disorders (e.g. anxiety, ADHD).

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite helpful. Sadly everyone will recognize some of their coworkers in this one

[Jill]

I haven't read it yet, but I plan on reading it.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually quite substantive.