Badly Behaved People is not your typical business book; it features a unique format that combines elements of a business guide with an agony aunt approach. The book addresses 15 common problem personalities through real-life case studies. Readers will recognise challenging personality types and learn how to deal with them proactively and positively using practical tools and coaching questions. The goal is to understand yourself and your colleagues better, repair connections, and restore a sense of belonging and cohesion in the workplace.
Each chapter is designed like a short story, with theory and explanations woven throughout. Readers will likely identify with at least one story, thinking, 'That's me,' and will learn how to make positive changes in their own relationships.
Key features of the book includes:
- Improved understanding of others and enhanced communication skills
- 15 real workplace stories that illustrate conflict resolution, dialogue restoration, and solutions for interpersonal challenges
- Practical tools to help find common ground and foster a sense of belonging
By exploring the content, readers will gain insights into themselves, learn to control negative thinking, and uncover their blind spots. Each chapter is practical and actionable, featuring useful tools and coaching questions.
Table of Contents:
- Context to the case studies: True stories about you and your colleagues
- Coaching: we're all at it
- Case Studies:
- My star performer is underperforming.
- My team can't take criticism.
- I'm not good enough for this role.
- I hate speaking in front of senior leaders.
- I'm the office scapegoat.
- How do I ignite a demotivated team?
- I'm stuck, everyone else is doing better than me.
- I'm doing my team's work as well as my own.
- I'm too busy, with no time to think.
- My manager is too soft and the way she works is chaotic.
- I work for a toxic narcissist.
- Managing a cocky show-off.
- I need to speak up more.
- Negative colleagues drag me down
- Why can't he control his temper?
- Why doesn't anyone listen to me?
- Five rules for better work relationships
- Patterns from the case studies
About the Author :
Zena Everett is an expert in communication, an international leadership coach, and a highly sought-after speaker. She is also the author of "Mind Flip " and the award-winning "The Crazy Busy Cure."
Originally a recruitment entrepreneur, Zena sold her business in 2007 and then pursued a Master of Science in Career Management and Coaching. She also obtained additional postgraduate qualifications in psychological coaching and leadership with neuroscience from MIT Sloan Business School. Zena has coached on the Executive MBA Programme at Oxford University's Saïd Business School and is a member of the Associate Faculty at Henley Business School. She designs and conducts bespoke, engaging leadership programs for aspiring businesses that aim to enhance accountability and productivity.
Zena is a regular keynote speaker on topics such as crazy busyness and leadership, presenting at events for the London Business Forum, Ireland's Executive Institute, and at various corporate conferences and away days.
Review :
"Human behaviour can seem more complicated than quantum physics. This book investigates bad behaviour and how we can rise above it to achieve our dreams." Dr Niamh Shaw, Irish engineer, scientist, writer and explorer, voted one of Ireland’s leading science communicators and STEAM specialists
"I’ve experienced badly behaved business leaders like the ones in this book. They default to ‘telling’ – viewing communication as one-way. As Greg Dyke, the former Director General of the BBC, said “Leaders must first LISTEN to earn the right to be heard”. Successful leaders ask great questions and listen. They listen to WHAT is said, listen to what is NOT said and listen to HOW it is said. They don’t need to know all the answers. Instead, they need to read Zena’s book and learn the right questions." Jeff Grout, Leadership Expert, Listed in ‘100 Best Business Speakers in Britain’.
"Zena Everett brings incredible insights to this guide for anyone navigating today's complicated work interactions, much of it remotely, where misunderstandings are magnified, and generations are colliding. It is the best book on how to work successfully with other people that I've ever read." Lauren Kelley, CEO, OPEXEngine by Bain & Company.
"There are sooooo many life lessons and strategies to apply from Zena's book. Some chapters are quite painful to read (does that mean it's working?) and other chapters feel like a warm hug. Come with an open mind and get ready to learn what makes people behave badly in the workplace. So many unsavoury characters are described, and Zena helps us navigate dealing with them - or indeed stop being them ourselves! And come out on top." Helen, Banks, Entrepreneur and Founder of Imperfect Pointes
"Whilst we are still working with human colleagues, Zena is the workplace agony aunt we need." Mariel Juhlin, Entrepreneur, Innovation Manager and AI expert
"In Zena's brilliant writing style, she has distilled a huge amount of complex information into a practical and enlightening guide. I recognised my own 'idiotic' leadership behaviours within these pages and had a few 'aha' moments regarding some challenges I've faced with badly behaved bosses.
Her advice about selecting a coach to address your own challenges is spot on, do your due diligence. Cost isn't a guarantee of quality! A good question to ask is if they have a coach themselves, known in professional terms as a 'supervisor'. If not, alarm bells should ring!
An entertaining, insightful, and well researched book that 'tells it as it is', highly recommend." Rachael Hanley-Browne, EMCC Global Council Chair
"A must read for anyone who wants to improve their relationships with others - and themselves! I loved the fact that it is evidence based without the psychobabble, and was amusing and fun to read, but also hugely insightful." Dr Marie Stopforth, Chartered Coaching and Sport Psychologist
"I live with an invisible difference which affects my processing abilities. I’m working on speaking up more and learning not to see ‘everything’ as a problem. This book will continue to nourish my tired mind, tired especially of people making assumptions about my capabilities as a neurodivergent person. I loved the format: it is clear, engaging, to the point and with helpful subheadings to navigate. Thank you, Zena for really listening." Martha Jones, MA (Oxon).
"People behave badly because they don’t listen. I am a care experienced girl. I was told repeatedly that I should apply to work for the gas board. They didn't listen, I wanted to act. ‘You’ll live on beans on toast for the rest of your life’ I was told. I quite like beans on toast actually, I replied. My first acting job was Mary the Punk in EastEnders, the West End followed, as did more telly. Then I started to write for BBC science. A girl with no maths or English. I decided I wanted to work in tech. ‘How can you work in tech, you're just a soap actress’, I was told more than once. Read this book and learn how to stop giving or receiving advice we don’t need. Everyone needs to be seen and heard." Linda Davidson, BAFTA & Woman of the Future nominated. Woman in Tech, Co-Founder of Outside Thinkers, advocating and creating opportunity for care experienced people.
"I loved 'Badly Behaved People' - it's an invaluable handbook for all of us at work. Zena manages to convey complex psychological and emotional theories about our behaviour with humour and humility. The book is a wonderful exploration of creating meaningful connections at work, and how each of us can take healthy perspectives on our behaviour and that of the people we interact with daily. As a fellow coach, I particularly resonated with the chapter on the coaching profession. Here Zena champions the importance of robust contracting, evidence-based coaching, and the importance of coaches maintaining a deep and curious knowledge of the human mind." Lucy Whitehall, MA MAPPCP, Coaching Psychologist.
"This book is a testament to soft power—the audacity to inspire and guide rather than tell! Zena masterfully explains how to course correct malfunctioning humans. This is an unputdownable read!" Alina Addison, Author of The Audacity Spectrum.
"Zena is like Emily Blunt, offset behind Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada - giving you discreet and timely intel on your next human interaction, whether at work or in life. You don't need sack loads of emotional intelligence; you just need Zena at your back. This book nudges you into making the necessary course corrections whenever "it's not me, it's you", which, let's face it, is most of the time. The book treats you to reality checks and nuggets that encapsulate instincts you already have, so you feel like a better manager as well as being a better manager. Zena made me feel proud of my scrappy career and now has me looking forward to tweaking the culture wherever I land next.
Lisa Rajan, Author of 32 children's and YA books, former politician and journalist, six-time marathon runner.
Everett's wisdom transcends all workplaces and industries, showing that ultimately, our careers are about people. In understanding our colleagues better, particularly those who don't share our own values, we can learn to flourish at work - no matter what we do.' " Ella Dove, journalist, author and TEDx speaker
"Atomic reading! The reader is wrenched into self-awareness on every page. This is a must have at hand resource for anyone engaging with others, on how to nurture and sustain healthy habits and relationships in our lives." Ingrid Tennessee, Chief Executive Officer and Non-Executive Director, Charity sector
"For many years I have tried to give the affected a voice with the Kinsale Peace Project, bringing many of those affected by wars, hunger, poverty, torture or discrimination to my local community and schools to tell their story. I loved the stories in Badly Behaved People. Zena explains how much of the conflict the rest of us experience is in our own heads. We all need to spend more time listening to each other and ourselves." Padraig Fitzgerald, Founder of the Kinsale Peace Project, Ireland
"Another wonderful book by Zena Everett which explores the psychological underpinnings of ‘bad behaviour’ and shares a host of practical strategies to support more effective relationships for both those exhibiting and those dealing with ‘bad behaviour'. Recognising that these behaviours are psychological learned coping mechanisms often worsening under stress, she highlights the need for Coaches who are working in this area to be accredited; well trained in psychological processes and evidence based coaching and to be able to thoroughly contract around coaching goals, expectations and the boundary between coaching and counselling. I endorse her view and think this is a great resource for those in the workplace and Coaches alike." Wendy Oliver, AC Accredited Master Executive Coach and Supervisor
"Zena offers effective approaches to dealing with complex behavioural issues. As a psychotherapist turned coach, I found a goldmine of practical tools and questions." Colleen Mizuki, Coach to the US Military, Department of Defense, Department of State, non-profit and high-tech organisations
"All problems are people problems. Until workplaces provide everyone with their own psychiatrist, I suggest everyone reads this book to learn how to boost their self-awareness and understand their own – and other people’s – bad behaviour." David Goldstone, CEO & Founder VOCASO and Goldstone Associates, Investor, NED
"As a senior HR leader in investment management who helps leaders become better leaders whilst tackling my own leadership conundrums, I found this book to be a game-changer! It was practical and easy to apply in everyday situations inside the workplace. I especially liked the style of the book, it has case studies and searching questions - the fact that I could dip in and out, focusing on what was needed was great.
Assumptions can be made about bad managers and leaders and that it is mostly "their fault" and they needed to improve - this thinking is challenged, and I had to ask myself what others were or were not doing to contribute to their unhappy situation, soon realising that the accountability didn't lie fully with leadership. I found myself thinking a lot about self-awareness, ownership and emotional intelligence. Great book, perfect for a busy leader or manager as well as HR teams." Dimple Mistry FCIPD, Human Resources Leader, Board Member, Ally
