Friday, August 29, 2008

Bob and Dulin Meet Joey Reynolds Tonight


Late-night radio talk-show host Joey Reynolds has summoned the PITA guys to New York to join his Royal Order of the Night People tonight. You can tune in to hear the interview between 10:45 and 11:45pm ET on WOR-AM 710 in New York, and syndicated across the nation. If you're like me and just don't stay up that late, you can find podcasts of past shows here.
Joey's motto (and the title of his memoir) is "Let a smile be your umbrella--but don't get a mouthful of rain." He's a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and even has his own cheesecake.
Join Joey, Bob, and Dulin tonight as they explore what makes a person a pain in the ass and how to deal with him (or her).

Monday, August 25, 2008

Radio Support Has Been Overwhelming

Well, Pita man and I have currently done 3 radio shows with the major radio tour occuring later this week on Thursday and Friday. We continue to be fascinated with how well we are being received and how much our hosts just love the topic. Its seems that practically everyone can get in touch with the hassles of working with a PITA. It was very liberating for Cynthia from Starstyle to say "pain in the ass" over the radio. We are glad we could help her over that hurdle. :-) She was a great sport! Most importantly, the radio programs are generating some incredible discussions about ways to effectively intervene with our most problematic employees, supervisors, coworkers and even clients. We are very excited to be reaching audiences all over the nation this week as we discuss the nuances of this very important topic.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Saturday with Maury


Readers in Cleveland, be sure to tune in tomorrow morning at 8am for Maury's Market on WERE-AM (1490).
Maury Feren has been a fixture on the Cleveland business scene for decades. He's best known as an expert on the food industry, but he also likes to interview book authors.
And that's where we come in. Even though our book isn't about edible pitas, we're sure there will be some lively conversation about the different PITA types!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Orndorff and Clark on Starstyle with Cynthia Brian


Be sure to listen Thursday night at 6pm ET (3pm PT) for Bob and Dulin's live interview with Cynthia Brian on Starstyle (listen to the broadcast here or look for the archived podcast on the various syndication networks listed on her site).


You're in for a treat as our authors meet personal growth success expert Cynthia Brian, whose show focuses on various topics related to lifestyle, personal growth, animals, show business, health, travel, design, gardening, finance, success, business skills, children, philosophy, and adventures.


Starstyle is part of the largest radio network in the world, with a reach of over 5.5 million listeners and currently syndicated on 13 other networks and podcasts.

Monday, August 18, 2008

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.

Friday, August 15, 2008

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.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

A Young Blogger's Take on The PITA Principle

Victoria, who blogs at sexy-mexy thinks..., advocates that we all recognize and embrace our inner PITAs. She likens it to the Biblical parable of removing the plank from your own eye before you try to remove the speck of dust from your neighbor's eye. She totally gets it--one of the main points of the book is that although other people might be bugging you, you might be playing a role in that and bugging others as well.

Thanks for the shout-out, Victoria!

Friday, August 8, 2008

Media Blitz Is Coming

Bob and Dulin are gearing up for their radio tour on August 27 and 28. See the sidebar to the right for stations and shows. We will add more stations as they are confirmed.

The authors will also be in New York City on August 29 for an appearance on Weekend Today in New York, as well as The Joey Reynolds Show. Be sure to tune in!

Monday, August 4, 2008

Publishers Weekly Reviews The PITA Principle

Publishers Weekly is the trade publication for the publishing and bookselling industry. We are thrilled to announce that they have reviewed our book today. Here's the text of that review:

The PITA Principle: How to Work with and Avoid Becoming a PAIN IN THE ASS

Robert Orndorff and Dulin Clark. JIST Works, $22.95 (224p) 9781593575519

Despite some self-help jargon and overuse of quotation marks, this book will educate readers about personality types and how to work with them. The authors work the PITA acronym (Pain In The Ass) in seemingly every way imaginable, for example designating people Sealed (closed-off), Crusty (grouchy) or Overstuffed (self-important) PITAs. Happily, these metaphors work, describing accurately and simply common defense reactions and how to manage. Psychologist Clark and long-time educator and consultant Orndorff are gentle in their approach, encouraging readers not to attack or dismiss difficult coworkers: “[It] helps to understand that defense reactions are to a degree shared by everyone. No one is exempt from feeling defensive.” Most surprising is the authors’ emphasis on self-reflection and accountability in their readers, offering easy-to-understand methods to change your own PITA qualities. This traditional, considerate and well-organized handbook should prove valuable for people struggling to spend their work days more peacefully. (Aug.)