It’s nothing personal . . .

Everyone knows that irritating encounters with coworkers can trash your day — and career. Now you can finally do something about it.

Whether your company has 10 employees or 10,000, sooner or later you’re bound to end up grappling with people in the office you can’t stand. But that doesn’t mean that you have to let them throw you under the bus. I Hate People! is a smart, counterintuitive twist on the classic workplace self-help book that will show you how to identify the corporate clods you hate the most — while giving you the techniques you need to help neutralize them.

Filled with the real-life methods that business managers and executives use at Fortune 500 companies — from Procter & Gamble to IBM and Google — to overcome the human debris of the workplace, I Hate People! is an essential book for those who refuse to let the drones get in their way. It includes invaluable tips on how to: 

Outfox the Ten Least Wanted — the underminers, micromanagers, and backstabbers who prowl the corporate minefield.

Become a Soloist — one of those bold individuals who dare to work alone or with a few handpicked talented people — while artfully deflecting the rest.

Dig Your Cave and Island Hop — sanity-saving techniques that will help you effectively carve out space and time for yourself.

Rejecting the failed culture of phony niceness that has harmed so many companies and individuals, I Hate People! offers a handy, amusing compass to help you navigate today’s perilous workplace . . . while leaving the idiots behind.

About the Author:

Jonathan Littman, is the author of I Hate People! and numerous acclaimed works of nonfiction, including The Fugitive Game, The Watchman, and The Beautiful Game. He is also the coauthor of IDEO’s The Art of Innovation and The Ten Faces of Innovation. He is a contributing editor for Playboy and a columnist for Yahoo! Sports. is the coauthor of  I Hate People! and a branding expert who helped to create the names for the BlackBerry, Swiffer, nüvi, and many other influential products. He is also a comedy veteran who has worked closely, with Dana Carvey, Bill Maher, and Robin Williams.

Marc Hershon is the coauthor of  I Hate People! and a branding expert who helped to create the names for the BlackBerry, Swiffer, nüvi, and many other influential products. He is also a comedy veteran who has worked closely, with Dana Carvey, Bill Maher, and Robin Williams.

 For more information please visit www.IHatePeople.biz

Reviews

“I Hate People! is the definitive guide for creating a job you love — even though you are trapped with jerks and creeps of every stripe. Littman and Hershon tell great stories, give inspired advice, and wrap it all in the most fun management book since Orbiting the Giant Hairball.”–Robert I. Sutton, author of The No Asshole Rule and professor of management science and engineering, Stanford University

“Ironically, I hate the people who wrote this book.” –Dana Carvey

“There are many clever but shallow business books. I Hate People! is clever, wise, and deep. Its shrewd examination of professional interpersonal dilemmas is in itself worth the price of admission. The creative, easy-to-apply solutions it offers for these problems are an absolute bonus. I kept saying, ‘True, true, true!’” –Arthur H. Bell, PhD, Executive Director of MBA Programs, School of business and Management, University of San Francisco

Why Soloists Get — And Keep — The Job

By Jonathan Littman,
Co-Author of I Hate People!: Kick Loose from the Overbearing and Underhanded Jerks at Work and Get What You Want Out of Your Job

Nearly half a million Americans lost their jobs in June. Here’s what you need to know: They were not Soloists.

Without knowing it they became the soft middle of every bloated enterprise, men and women who smile, try to please the boss and look to be team players. But companies are done with being accommodating because you’re nice, finished with favoring those who just appear to work.

Employers are seeking people who can get stuff done. No BS. No hand holding. It’s not a time for smiling.

Enter the Soloist. He’s been here all along. The Soloist only attends meetings when absolutely necessary. Sticks to the agenda like a magnet. Has little time for office politics.

He’s anything but the office curmudgeon. The Soloist is popular — among those who pull their weight. He sees big teams for what they are: Outdated organizational models. Dead ends where mediocre employees try to hide their lack of productivity and talent. The Soloist attracts like-minded Soloists in Ensembles — tight, focused anti-teams of 2 to 4 people. Making progress alone or with one or two ensembles is the heart of being a Soloist.

The Soloist knows the work of Maximilien Ringelmann, a French engineer who more than a century ago exposed the problems with big teams. Ringelmann had men pull on a rope. Surprise, surprise, three pulled only as hard as two and a half individuals, and eight didn’t pull as hard as four working on their own.

The forces at play have come to be called coordination losses and “social loafing.” That’s why the Soloist minimizes his time spent on big teams and makes his mark through Ensembles, where everyone pulls and individual talents have leverage.

The gifted Soloist has a knack for skirting office sink holes. And not just big teams. They know that the greatest risks to their continued employment are the more than 70 interruptions a day that cripple productivity — e-mails, phone calls, unannounced visits. The Soloist doesn’t believe in interruptions. He only answers e-mails that pertain to his projects, specializing in single word or one line replies. He blocks off chunks of his day free from dealing with e-mails or calls. He makes critical progress by working directly with his Ensembles or solo.

The gifted Soloist also realizes some projects are better started — if not finished — alone. When office interruptions can’t be avoided, he’ll Island Hop, commandeering an empty office, meeting room, or Starbucks to get a critical leg up. And when the pressure is on he’ll dig his cave, shutting his door or sending subtle and concrete signals that he’s not to be interrupted. Body language works (if you look busy, you will stay busy). Headphones are amazingly effective, as is hanging a sign, “If it’s not an emergency, e-mail me.” Or actually saying it, “I’m Busy.”

The Soloist doesn’t say he’s sorry. He’s too busy working. He knows the company will keep him on if he keeps producing.

Sound too radical? Intel tried training employees to be more efficient about e-mail and interruptions. They even developed a software program that was supposed to help. But their “second generation” non-technical approach has been a lot more direct and effective: Two 4-hour quiet periods a week where workers shut themselves off from e-mail and phone communication.

Are you too polite to repel the human interruptions slicing hours off your day? Consider that one study found that the recovery time is almost as bad as the interruptions. Nearly half of all interruptions knock you off balance for five to fifteen minutes, meaning that your sailboat is bobbing about without any wind for large chunks of the day.

The Soloists doesn’t take a poll, ask permission or call a meeting to reach a consensus. He plots a course through his day, finding the currents and winds that speed his journey. The Soloist sees every office interaction for what it is — either an opportunity to contribute and demonstrate your value or a lost cause. He puts work above meeting etiquette, arrives as late as possible and leaves whenever he can. If this sounds risky, consider this fascinating discovery from a recent study. Over achievers hate meetings the most. It’s the bottom rung of employees who love meetings.

Trying to play it safe is no longer smart in today’s harsh economy. Your best chance at getting and keeping a job is to be a Soloist, ready to put work and your career ahead of all other distractions.

©2009 Jonathan Littman, co-author of I Hate People!: Kick Loose from the Overbearing and Underhanded Jerks at Work and Get What You Want Out of Your Job