It was the curious title that made me pick up Roy Nassau’s book: PAFU People are F*cked Up. Roy has been in customer service for over four decades with a celebrated and successful career at Marriott International. He’s seen first-hand how human behaviors can derail success. It isn’t ALL behavior, rather what Roy defines as PAFU (pronounced Pæ-foo): “when someone’s behavior completely ignores the “norm” of what is considered reasonable and acceptable defying logic and rational thinking and disregarding reason and common sense.” The examples of PAFU really bring home Roy’s point. Like the ‘windbags’ that talk incessantly, or ‘ramblers’ that wander all over different topics. He includes a sample of a Donald Trump speech that covers eight unrelated topics within one paragraph. In the news, Roy cites PAFU headlines like “Statistics show that teen pregnancy drops off significantly after age 25” or “Greenland meteorite may be from space.” And my favorite, from George Carlin about driving: “Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?” Roy is the first to admit to his own PAFU behaviors and how being called out on them was what he needed to grow and advance in his leadership roles. PAFU is really a book about being human and doing silly things that, most of the time, we don’t even realize we do. According to Roy, the solution is to learn to give feedback and grow in PAFU awareness.

Roy Nassau offers a most impressive compendium of character traits: positive, neutral, and negative. Similar to personality assessments, Roy describes how the overuse of a good trait can take a person downhill fast. For example, confidence when overused can lead to arrogance; being educated can lead to being pompous, and one can go from organized to finicky when overused. The list allows PAFU aficionados to replace some of the less empathetic traits – like saying Larry is impatient, rather than calling him an idiot, a schmuck, or a jerk. Roy Nassau advocates honest and direct feedback to address human foibles and PAFU behaviors. He offers tips on how to give feedback and suggests you choose which acronym works best for you. Either D.I.C.K. - Direct, Informative, Caring and Kind – or the politically-correct version B.R.I.D.G.E. - Benevolent, Relevant, Informative, Direct, Genuine and Engaging. Really, what it boils down to, is if you see something, you need to say something. PAFU is a great book for people leaders that need some guidance on what behavior to call out and how to do it effectively. Roy advocates if we nip PAFU in the bud it will help eradicate the perpetrator. People will appreciate it, claims Roy, and together it will make the world a better place. An entertaining and informative read.

Have you ever crossed paths with a person whose behavior is so irrational that you can't believe it? Of course, you have. We've all had experiences where the behavior we see in others completely defies logic, and we don't understand how they think it's ok to do what they do. The truth is that we see it every day, to varying degrees. The question is, what do you do about it? Search no further, as Roy Nassau offers advice and guidance in PAFU People are F*cked Up: How to recognize and address annoying and irritating behaviors that make you say "What the hell is wrong with you?" Nassau offers practical advice from a career in the hospitality industry to point out the irrational behaviors that cause friction on the job and in personal relationships. His humorous, brutally honest presentation makes you realize that we're all prone to our moments of PAFU and gives practical advice to handle this behavior with the grace and honesty that builds better relationships and a more functional work (and personal) environment.

Most people would turn toward professional, serious advice in dealing with these issues, but Roy Nassau shows that a more "down to earth" approach is a better way to handle and preserve the interpersonal relationships that are the foundation of life and conducting business. His humorous delivery not only helps readers relate to such absurd experiences but also opens their eyes to the fact that none of us should take ourselves too seriously. We're all flawed people and can benefit from an occasional "reality check," whether we receive it from others or we're the ones giving it. PAFU People are F*cked Up is a great, short read that will inspire you to take a fresh look at life, work, and relationships, to find the humor in the absurd, and - best of all - to handle it graciously and efficiently.

Easy read and very entertaining. While at the same time, the book points out behaviors that derail people's career. It also points out how to correct behaviors or point out PAFU behaviors to others. Roy is absolutely correct- PAFU!!!!