The Boss from Outer Space and Other Aliens at Work: A Down-to-Earth Guide for Getting Along with Just About Anyone

The Boss from Outer Space and Other Aliens at Work: A Down-to-Earth Guide for Getting Along with Just About Anyone

by Patricia J. Addesso
Released September 2007
Publisher(s): AMACOM
ISBN: None

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Book description

Anyone who works in an office probably has to deal with at least some people who are so different they might as well be from another planet. These differences can lead to conflict or -- if handled properly -- to a greater appreciation of others and a more productive workplace.

The secret to getting along lies in understanding the different personality traits people exhibit and how to relate to them. The author identifies 11 traits that can make work relationships difficult, which she compares to the planets (plus the moon and the sun), including:

* Saturn, with its distinctive rings, symbolizes how comfortable one is being different, and shows whether one is more of a conformist or experimenter

* Jupiter, made up mostly of gases, has a bubbly spirit, and signifies one’s level of optimism

* Earth (as in "down to Earth") indicates whether someone is grounded, or has one’s "head in the clouds."

Fun and easy to read, yet packed with realistic strategies, this very human guide will help anyone on the planet get along with even their most difficult coworker.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
  2. Introduction
    1. The Research
    2. The Big Five
    3. Temperament
    4. Emotional Intelligence
    5. Cognitive Style
    6. Action Orientation
    7. Motivational Needs
    8. Eleven Types Revolving Around One Another
  3. 1. Co-Workers from the Sun
    1. The Life of the Party/The Quiet One
    2. Before we Travel to the Sun
      1. Which End of the Spectrum Most Characterizes Me?
        1. A Little Bit of Sun
        2. A Little Bit of Shade
      2. Which End of the Spectrum Most Characterizes Those Closest to Me at Work: My Boss, My Co-Workers, My Peers, and My Employees?
    3. Introverts in Need of the Sun
    4. Let the Sun Shine: Characteristics of an Extrovert
    5. Standing in the Shadows: Characteristics of an Introvert
    6. Solar Combinations
      1. Two Extroverts
      2. Two Introverts
      3. One of Each
        1. Co-Workers
        2. Boss and Employee
        3. Employee and Boss
    7. How to be More Balanced if You’re an Extrovert
    8. How to be More Balanced if You’re an Introvert
    9. What We’ve Learned on our Trip to the Sun
      1. Extrovert
        1. Positive Characteristics
        2. Negative Characteristics
          1. What You Will Get from Them
          2. What You Need to Give Them
      2. Introvert
        1. Positive Characteristics
        2. Negative Characteristics
          1. What You Will Get from Them
          2. What You Need to Give Them
    10. After our Trip to the Sun
  4. 2. Mercurial Messengers
    1. Reflectors/Actors
    2. Before we Travel to Mercury
      1. Which End of the Spectrum Most Characterizes Me?
      2. Which End of the Spectrum Most Characterizes Those Closest to Me at Work: My Boss, My Co-Workers, My Peers, and My Employees?
    3. Mercurial Partners
    4. Mercury at Rest: Characteristics of Reflectors
    5. Mercury Rising: Characteristics of Actors
    6. Mercurial Combinations
      1. Two Reflectors
      2. Two Actors
      3. One of Each
        1. Co-Workers
        2. Boss and Employee
        3. Employee and Boss
    7. How to be More Balanced if You’re a Reflector
    8. How to be More Balanced if You’re an actor
    9. What We’ve Learned on our Trip to Mercury
      1. Reflector
        1. Positive Characteristics
        2. Negative Characteristics
          1. What You Will Get from Them
          2. What You Need to Give Them
      2. Actor
        1. Positive Characteristics
        2. Negative Characteristics
          1. What You Will Get from Them
          2. What You Need to Give Them
    10. After our Trip to Mercury
  5. 3. Venusians in the Workplace
    1. Logical/Sensitive
    2. Before we Travel to Venus
      1. Which End of the Spectrum Most Characterizes Me?
      2. Which End of the Spectrum Most Characterizes Those Closest to Me at Work: My Boss, My Co-Workers, My Peers, and My Employees?
    3. Venusians Can’t Agree on Who Belongs in the Zoo
    4. Rational Venus: Characteristics of Logical People
    5. Emotional Venus: Characteristics of Sensitive People
    6. Venusian Combinations
      1. Two Logical People
      2. Two Sensitive People
      3. One of Each
        1. Co-Workers
        2. Boss and Employee
        3. Employee and Boss
    7. How to be More Balanced if You’re Logical
    8. If You’re Sensitive
    9. What We’ve Learned on our Trip to Venus
      1. Logical
        1. Positive Characteristics
        2. Negative Characteristics
          1. What You Will Get from Them
          2. What You Need to Give Them
      2. Sensitive
        1. Positive Characteristics
        2. Negative Characteristics
          1. What You Will Get from Them
          2. What You Need to Give Them
    10. After our Trip to Venus
  6. 4. Down to Earth
    1. Carried Away/Feet on the Ground
    2. Before we Travel to the Earth
      1. Which End of the Spectrum Most Characterizes Me?
      2. Which End of the Spectrum Most Characterizes Those Closest to Me at Work: My Boss, My Co-Workers, My Peers, and My Employees?
    3. On Starship Earth: Stability or Stupidity?
    4. Earthbound: Characteristics of Having Your Feet on the Ground
    5. Lost in Space: Characteristics of Being Carried Away
    6. Earthly Combinations
      1. Two “Feet on the Ground” Individuals
      2. Two “Carried Away” Individuals
      3. One of Each
        1. Co-Workers
        2. Boss and Employee
        3. Employee and Boss
    7. How to be More Balanced if You’ve Got Your “Feet on the Ground”
    8. How to be More Balanced if you Tend to Get Carried Away
    9. What We’ve Learned on our Trip to Earth
      1. Feet on the Ground
        1. Positive Characteristics
        2. Negative Characteristics
          1. What You Will Get from Them
          2. What You Need to Give Them
      2. Carried Away
        1. Positive Characteristics
        2. Negative Characteristics
          1. What You Will Get from Them
          2. What You Need to Give Them
    10. After our Trip to the Earth
  7. 5. The Moon Landers
    1. Isn’t That Interesting?/That’s Wrong
    2. Before we Travel to the Moon
      1. Which End of the Spectrum Most Characterizes Me?
      2. Which End of the Spectrum Most Characterizes Those Closest to Me at Work: My Boss, My Co-Workers, My Peers, and My Employees?
    3. Walking on the Moon: Pocket Quarterback or Scrambler?
    4. Fly Me to the Moon: Characteristics of the “Isn’t That Interesting?” Person
    5. Blue Moon: Characteristics of the “That’s Wrong” Person
    6. Lunar Combinations
      1. Two “Isn’t That Interesting?” People
      2. Two “That’s Wrong” People
      3. One of Each
        1. Co-Workers
        2. Boss and Employee
        3. Employee and Boss
    7. How to be More Balanced if You’re an “Isn’t That Interesting?” Person
    8. How to be More Balanced if You’re a “That’s Wrong” Person
    9. What We’ve Learned on our Trip to the Moon
      1. “Isn’t That Interesting?”
        1. Positive Characteristics
        2. Negative Characteristics
          1. What You Will Get from Them
          2. What You Need to Give Them
      2. “That’s Wrong”
        1. Positive Characteristics
        2. Negative Characteristics
          1. What You Will Get from Them
          2. What You Need to Give Them
    10. After our Trip to the Moon
  8. 6. Martian Colleagues
    1. The Dominant Ones/The Compliant Ones
    2. Before we Travel to Mars
      1. Which End of the Spectrum Most Characterizes Me?
      2. Which End of the Spectrum Most Characterizes Those Closest to Me at Work: My Boss, My Co-Workers, My Peers, and My Employees?
    3. The Energy-Sucking Co-Workers from Mars
    4. Mars Attacks: Characteristics of the Dominant Ones
    5. My Favorite Martian: Characteristics of the Compliant Ones
    6. Martian Combinations
      1. Two Compliant People
      2. Two Dominant People
      3. One of Each
        1. Co-Workers
        2. Boss and Employee
        3. Employee and Boss
    7. How to be More Balanced if You’re Compliant
    8. How to be More Balanced if You’re Dominant
    9. What We’ve Learned on our Trip to Mars
      1. Compliant
        1. Positive Characteristics
        2. Negative Characteristics
          1. What You Will Get from Them
          2. What You Need to Give Them
      2. Dominant
        1. Positive Characteristics
        2. Negative Characteristics
          1. What You Will Get from Them
          2. What You Need to Give Them
    10. After our Trip to Mars
  9. 7. Employees from Jupiter
    1. The Optimist/The Pessimist
    2. Before we Travel to Jupiter
      1. Which End of the Spectrum Most Characterizes Me?
      2. Which End of the Spectrum Most Characterizes Those Closest to Me at Work: My Boss, My Co-Workers, My Peers, and My Employees?
    3. Jumpin’ Jupiter: Ain’t it Awful . . . Again!
    4. Jupiter the Bubbly Gas Giant: Characteristics of an Optimist
    5. Jupiter the God of Lightning: Characteristics of a Pessimist
    6. Jovian Combinations
      1. Two Optimists
      2. Two Pessimists
      3. One of Each
        1. Co-Workers
        2. Boss and Employee
        3. Employee and Boss
    7. How to be More Balanced If You’re an Optimist
    8. How to be More Balanced If You’re a Pessimist
    9. What we’ve Learned on our Trip to Jupiter
      1. Optimists
        1. Positive Characteristics
        2. Negative Characteristics
          1. What You Will Get from Them
          2. What You Need to Give Them
      2. Pessimists
        1. Positive Characteristics
        2. Negative Characteristics
          1. What You Will Get from Them
          2. What You Need to Give Them
    10. After our Trip to Jupiter
  10. 8. Saturn Is So Different
    1. The Conformist/The Experimenter
    2. Before we Travel to Saturn
      1. Which End of the Spectrum Most Characterizes Me?
      2. Which End of the Spectrum Most Characterizes Those Closest to Me at Work: My Boss, My Co-Workers, My Peers, and My Employees?
    3. Saturnians at Work: Conscientious or Obsessive?
    4. Plain-Vanilla Planet: Characteristics of a Conformist
    5. Saturn’s Remarkable Rings: Characteristics of an Experimenter
    6. Saturn’s Combinations
      1. Two Conformists
      2. Two Experimenters
      3. One of Each
        1. Co-Workers
        2. Boss and Employee
        3. Employee and Boss
    7. How to be More Balanced if You’re a Conformist
    8. How to be More Balanced if You’re an Experimenter
    9. What we’ve Learned on our Trip to Saturn
      1. Conformist
        1. Positive Characteristics
        2. Negative Characteristics
          1. What You Will Get from Them
          2. What You Need to Give Them
      2. Experimenter
        1. Positive Characteristics
        2. Negative Characteristics
          1. What You Will Get from Them
          2. What You Need to Give Them
    10. After our Trip to Saturn
  11. 9. The Boss from Uranus
    1. The True Friend/The Diplomat
    2. Before we Travel to Uranus
      1. Which End of the Spectrum Most Characterizes Me?
      2. Which End of the Spectrum Most Characterizes Those Closest to Me at Work: My Boss, My Co-Workers, My Peers, and My Employees?
    3. Karen’s Pals are From Uranus
    4. Discreet Uranus: Characteristics of a Diplomat
    5. Honest Uranus: Characteristics of a True Friend
    6. Uranian Combinations
      1. Two True Friends
      2. Two Diplomats
      3. One of Each
        1. Co-Workers
        2. Boss and Employee
        3. Employee and Boss
    7. How to be More Balanced If You’re a Diplomat
    8. How to be More Balanced if You’re a True Friend
    9. What We’ve Learned on our Trip to Uranus
      1. True Friend
        1. Positive Characteristics
        2. Negative Characteristics
          1. What You Will Get from Them
          2. What You Need to Give Them
      2. Diplomat
        1. Positive Characteristics
        2. Negative Characteristics
          1. What You Will Get from Them
          2. What You Need to Give Them
    10. After our Trip to Uranus
  12. 10. The Team Strength in Neptune
    1. Big Thinker/Stickler for Detail
    2. Before we Travel to Neptune
      1. Which End of the Spectrum Most Characterizes Me?
      2. Which End of the Spectrum Most Characterizes Those Closest to Me at Work: My Boss, My Co-Workers, My Peers, and My Employees?
    3. Two Sides of Neptune: “Here We Go Again”
    4. “Neptune Must be There”: Characteristics of Big Thinkers
    5. “Mathematical Logic Will Find Neptune”: Characteristics of the Stickler for Detail
    6. Neptunian Combinations
      1. Two Big Thinkers
      2. Two Sticklers for Detail
      3. One of Each
        1. Co-Workers
        2. Boss and Employee
        3. Employee and Boss
    7. How to be More Balanced
      1. If You’re a Big Thinker
      2. If You’re a Stickler for Detail
    8. What We’ve Learned on our Trip to Neptune
      1. Big Thinker
        1. Positive Characteristics
        2. Negative Characteristics
          1. What You Will Get from Them
          2. What You Need to Give Them
      2. Stickler for Detail
        1. Positive Characteristics
        2. Negative Characteristics
          1. What You Will Get from Them
          2. What You Need to Give Them
    9. After our Trip to Neptune
  13. 11. Plutonian People
    1. Self-Assured/Self-Critical
    2. Before we Travel to Pluto
      1. Which End of the Spectrum Most Characterizes Me?
      2. Which End of the Spectrum Most Characterizes Those Closest to Me at Work: My Boss, My Co-Workers, My Peers, and My Employees?
    3. Pluto’s Puzzle: To be Pitied or to be Valued?
    4. Contented Plutonians: Characteristics of the Self-Assured Person
    5. Ambitious Plutonians: Characteristics of the Self-Critical Person
    6. Plutonian Combinations
      1. Two Self-Assured People
      2. Two Self-Critical People
      3. One of Each
        1. Co-Workers
        2. Boss and Employee
        3. Employee and Boss
    7. How to be More Balanced
      1. If You’re Self-Assured
      2. If You’re Self-Critical
    8. What We’ve Learned on our Trip to Pluto
      1. Self-Assured
        1. Positive Characteristics
        2. Negative Characteristics
          1. What You Will Get from Them
          2. What You Need to Give Them
      2. Self-Critical
        1. Positive Characteristics
        2. Negative Characteristics
          1. What You Will Get from Them
          2. What You Need to Give Them
    9. After our Trip to Pluto
  14. 12. Back to Earth
    1. The Cantankerous Co-worker
    2. Managing the Manager
    3. Harmony in the Workplace—or Not
    4. Now it is Up to You!
  15. Notes
    1. Introduction
    2. Chapter 1

Product information

  • Title: The Boss from Outer Space and Other Aliens at Work: A Down-to-Earth Guide for Getting Along with Just About Anyone
  • Author(s): Patricia J. Addesso
  • Release date: September 2007
  • Publisher(s): AMACOM
  • ISBN: None