Penn State Live Article

Penn State University's alumni news source, Penn State Live, profiles The PITA Principle this week (read the article here).

Five Things the Chicago Tribune Learned from PITA

There was a very nice article by Stephanie Reynolds in yesterday's Chicago Tribune (read it here). The five things she learned from the book are these:

1. Anyone can get along with hardworking, good-natured co-workers, but a true professional has decent relationships even with sullen, disorganized or self-centered colleagues.
2. Emotional intelligence––a solid self-awareness of thoughts, feelings and behaviors as well as how one's actions affect others––is the basis for effectiveness in the workplace and particularly as a supervisor.
3. Different work styles are suited for different job functions. "There are salesmen and bean-counters, those who plan the party and those who are the life of the party."
4. It's not the job of the supervisor or co-worker to diagnose how the PITA came to be a PITA, only to develop a strategy for dealing with that person.
5. Successful managers stay calm and confident under stress, take responsibility for errors and are able to get along with different types of people.

LeadershipNow's Leading Blog Features PITA

Michael McKinney on the Leading Blog recently wrote about The PITA Principle in his post, "Are You a PITA?" He says the "PITA" moniker has been around since the '80s, but that it still resonates today--perhaps even more so than it did then.

McKinney also includes our self-assessment for determining your own PITA type and tendencies.

You can buy the book from LeadershipNow's LeaderShop, as well as all local and online retailers.

Listen to the PITA Podcast

You can hear authors Bob Orndorff and Dulin Clark discussing The PITA Principle in their Book Expo podcast. I was eavesdropping outside the booth as they recorded it and I thought they did a great job!

PITA Now Available at Amazon

The PITA Principle is now available online from Amazon.com (see here). It shipped from the printer a little earlier than expected. You will be able to find it at major bookstores in August.

PITA On-Sale Date

The PITA Principle will be available in retail stores on August 26, the official on-sale date for the book. Listen for national radio interviews with the authors around that date. We'll let you know when we have specific times and stations!

Welcome to the PITA Blog!

Do you work with a pain in the ass?

That person you work with, the one who’s always complaining about something, taking credit for your work, or constantly bragging about himself. You’ve tried to be nice and give him the benefit of the doubt. But come on: He’s being a pain in the ass and he’s making your life at work miserable. Short of gluing down all of his desk accessories or tattling to the boss, how will you cope?

Through entertaining stories and real-life work situations, The PITA Principle describes the different kinds of PITAs (Pains in the Ass) you might encounter at work—from the Crusty PITA, who hurls negativity in all directions; to the Royal PITA, who thinks he or she is entitled to special treatment. Then Drs. Orndorff and Clark expose possible motives for your coworker’s annoying ways, offer practical strategies for understanding each type of difficult coworker, and share ways to get along with them—and better yet, get the most out of every PITA.

You’ll chuckle when you realize how many of your colleagues actually match up with the PITA menu. And you’ll begin to see that maybe even you—yes, you—can be a PITA at certain times. After assessing your own challenges, you will master the tools to get along and get ahead that will lead to more success—and perhaps a little more sanity—in your career.

Ultimately, you’ll join the ranks of a different kind of PITA: Professionals Increasing Their Awareness—people who are courageous enough to look at themselves honestly, realize that no one is perfect, and be open to exploring ways to address their interpersonal and communicative deficits.