Alexander Alonso - The Price of Pettiness: Bad Behavior in the Workplace and how to Fix it

The Price of Pettiness is the perfect antidote to the unprecedented level of pettiness that has taken hold in our society. Dr. Alonso breaks down the art and science of addressing the everyday petty behavior that plagues both our personal and professional lives.

Michael Dr. Woody Woodward, PhD, organizational psychologist, and author of The YOU Plan

We constantly swim in a sea of pettiness in the workplace because were surrounded by humans. Alex deftly shares a series of relatable pettiness examples, and his rating scale to address and attack this reality of human interaction is a needed tool for every HR practitioner!!

Steve Browne, SHRM-SCP, VP of Human Resources, LaRosas, Inc., and author of HR on Purpose!!

This book shines a powerful and compelling light on a topic so often overlooked, but so important to our human experiencepettiness. This book makes you both smile and cringe as you read the real-life stories, but most importantly, Dr. Alonso compels readers to keep looking for opportunities to eradicate pettiness in all its forms.

Steven G. Rogelberg, PhD, Chancellors Professor of Management at UNC Charlotte, and New York Times bestselling author of The Surprising Science of Meetings

An engaging and relatable discussion of ego-based behaviors in the workplace, this book provides useful tools for navigating your way through the minefield of workplace pettiness.

Cy Wakeman, New York Times bestselling author of No Ego: Cutting the Cost of Workplace Drama, Ending Entitlement, and host of the No Ego podcast.

This book gives us all a yardstick by which to measure our own pettiness and strive for greater self-awareness.

Gary P. Latham, PhD, Professor of Organizational Effectiveness at Rotman School of Management, and author of Becoming the Evidence-Based Manager

Weve all dealt with situations where we could have reacted better. Using research and real-life examples, Dr. Alonso tackles the important topic of pettiness and provides insights and actions that anyone can use.

David L Van Rooy, PhD, Vice President, Talent and Organizational Capability at Walmart Canada, and author of Trajectory: Career Strategies to Take You from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be

The Price of Pettiness is the perfect primer for all of us who have nonchalantly navigated business universes with an awareness that petty behavior exists, even flourishes, in us and around us, but not quite understanding why, or at what price to those involved.

Bettina A. Deynes, SHRM-SCP, Chief Executive Officer at Surrogate CEO, Inc.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Alonso, Alexander, author.

Title: The price of pettiness : bad behavior in the workplace and how to stomp it out / by Alexander Alonso, PhD, SHRM-SCP.

Description: First edition. | Alexandria, Virginia : Society for Human Resource Management, [2019] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019019654 (print) | LCCN 2019021639 (ebook) | ISBN 9781586446208 (pdf) | ISBN 9781586446215 (epub) | ISBN 9781586446222 (mobi) | ISBN 9781586446192 (pbk. : alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Problem employees. | Interpersonal conflict. | Psychology, Industrial. | Personnel management.

Classification: LCC HF5549.5.E42 (ebook) | LCC HF5549.5.E42 A46 2019 (print) | DDC 658.3/045--dc23

LC record available at https://catalog.loc.gov/vwebv/search?searchCode=LCCN&searchArg=2019019654&searchType=1&permalink=y.

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Printed in the United States of AmericaFIRST EDITION

PB Printing10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

SHRMStore SKU: 61.19505

W hile modern films are a true passion of mine, I seldom opt to quote them unless absolutely fitting. In examining pettiness through the lens of outcomes, Alex Alonso has made a Gump-ian truth more evident than ever before. Like Forrests mother, who often said, Stupid is as stupid does, we have come to learnpetty is as petty does. As trivial as it may seem, this inalienable fact rings through each example shared in The Price of Pettiness.

Detailing the mundane pettiness of some while outlining the vicious pettiness of others is no easy task. Yet, it becomes clear how this work contributes to our own self-awareness as we see a little bit of ourselves in every example. With each stroke we understand the pervasiveness of counterproductive workplace behaviors and build upon their requisite impact as weapons of culture erosion. The importance of culture erosion cannot be understated, as it is the quintessential challenge facing organizations today. Whether facing issues with inclusion or defining core values for success, all workplaces seek to avoid becoming grist in the mill that is culture erosion.