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

Chapter 6. Martian Colleagues

The planet Mars is named after the god of war. In our language, we have often used the word Martian to stand for someone who is antagonistic to the standard homelike values of earth. People sometimes attribute anything foreign, hard to understand, or bizarre to the “Martians.” And because I am talking about conflict in this book (personality conflict in particular), I will take the severe warlike form of conflict, and the planet god who represents it, to discuss a trait that is as difficult to deal with as any we have seen so far.

The Dominant Ones/The Compliant Ones

Have you ever dealt with someone who clearly wanted to win at all costs? Seemingly impervious to any logical arguments, she will often take the contrary ...