The Undreaded Job: Learning to Thrive in a Less-than-Perfect Workplace

With high unemployment and rising workplace dissatisfaction, Kailua resident Richard Brislin shares his expertise in psychology and management in a revealing book to help people find satisfaction in the workplace and thrive in an imperfect work environment. Brislin is a professor at the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa in Honolulu, Hawai‘i.

His book, The Undreaded Job: Learning to Thrive in a Less-than-Perfect Workplace, is organized around common issues facing individuals in the workplace. Topics include imperfection in leaders and colleagues; a look at how people think; power and politics in the workplace; worker motivation, development and change; prejudice and diversity; social skills; and communication challenges.

According to Brislin, finding satisfaction, self-efficacy and a sense of self- fulfillment in the workplace is one of the most important factors contributing to a person’s sense of happiness and contentment with life.

The Undreaded Job examines various issues that lead to a greater understanding of leadership, power, motivation, group dynamics, social skills, and other topics central to an understanding of human behavior in organizations. The book also features research- based findings, specific steps, vignettes and case studies to make it easier for individuals to understand the underlying problems associated with the workplace.

“I have known people who awaken in the morning, day after day, with a feeling of dread because they have to go to their despised workplace,” said Brislin. “I hope this book contributes to a decrease in the number of people who get no satisfaction from their work. Most workplaces are imperfect in one way or another, but people can take steps to improve the possibility of a good person-situation fit.”