The Glass Wall: Success strategies for women at work - and businesses that mean business

by Sue Unerman, Kathryn Jacob

Overview

Never mind the glass ceiling. In the workplace today there's a glass wall. Men and women can see each other clearly through the divide, but they don't speak the same language or have the same expectations. And as a result, women and their careers are suffering.

With more women than ever in the workforce, but still too few in the boardroom, now is the time to address the assumptions and miscommunication holding women back. This book gives women the tools they need to master any situation. Drawing on Unerman and Jacob's own experience in male-dominated businesses, as well as over a hundred interviews with both men and women, The Glass Wall provides clear, smart and easy-to apply strategies for success. From unlocking ambition and developing resilience to nurturing creativity and getting noticed, these are the skills that everyone needs to learn to help break down that wall and create better workplaces for all.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781782832805
Publisher:	Profile
Publication date:	09/01/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Sue Unerman is the Chief Strategic Officer at MediaCom. She is also a Council Member of the Open University, sits on the University of Oxford Public Affairs Advisory Group, was on the Advisory Board of the Government Digital Service and is on the Corporate Development Board of Women's Aid. Kathryn Jacob is CEO of Pearl&Dean. She has worked at the Daily Telegraph and Virgin Radio. She is a member of the Government Expert Group on Body Confidence and the Advertising Association Council, ex-President of Women in Advertising and Communications and is on the Development Board of Women's Aid.
Sue Unerman is the Chief Strategic Officer at MediaCom. She is also a Council Member of the Open University, sits on the University of Oxford Public Affairs Advisory Group, was on the Advisory Board of the Government Digital Service and is on the Corporate Development Board of Women's Aid.
Kathryn Jacob is CEO of Pearl&Dean. She has worked at the Daily Telegraph and Virgin Radio. She is a member of the Government Expert Group on Body Confidence and the Advertising Association Council, ex-President of Women in Advertising and Communications and is on the Development Board of Women's Aid.

Table of Contents

Foreword xiii

Preface xv

How to read this book xxi

Introduction: The Way Forward 1

1 Ambition: Men are ambitious; women are ambivalent 16

Ask for what you want; ask for what you need 18

Ambition is a stranger to me 22

Jostling the big boys 27

Use the frustration 29

Feel the fear, then do it anyway 33

Wherever you go, you take the weather with you 33

One voice: Tessa 44

2 Creativity: Men strut their stuff; women tend to play it down in order to conform 48

Borrow it 51

Don't zig, zag 54

Don't fear failure 57

Tear it up 61

Be naïve 64

One voice: Kelly 71

3 Cutting Through: Men like to be noticed; women like to get on with the work 75

Brand yourself 77

Speak their language 83

Ha ha: be funny 84

Sbhhh: cutting through as an introvert 90

Managing up - and sideways (that's your job too) 93

Don't be a doormat 96

Be seen 99

One voice: Mercedes 105

4 Trouble: Trouble troubles women differently from how it troubles men 108

Keep going 110

Is sex a problem? 114

Sex in the office 118

The Conspiracy of the Sisterhood: kindness can kill 120

Mean girls 124

Know when to back down 129

The burnout 132

One voice: Rachel 138

5 Resilience: Men take things in their stride that can seem to throw women off course 142

Don't ask, don't get 144

When to walk away 148

The secret rules of work 151

The numbers game 155

The playbook 159

Don't take it personally 162

One voice: Megan 172

6 Anger: Men exploit their inner bastard; women hide the inner bitch 173

Power grip 173

Odd one out 176

Use advocates 179

Go feral 183

Play the long game 186

One voice: Gloria 192

7 Karma: Women are not in the network of chaps: how to pay favours forward and how helping others helps you 196

Always on 197

Be your best self 200

Make a memory 204

Pay it forward 207

We're all human 209

One voice: Carys 216

Afterword 220

41 Strategies for Success 223

Acknowledgements 231

Bibliography and further reading 232

Appendix: Lightspeed survey results 238

Editorial Reviews

"It is so important to empower other women and that is exactly what this book does. It gives women practical advice to help them navigate their careers and, ultimately, design their own life." -
Diane von Furstenberg

"For anyone looking to seriously understand why gender imbalance persists in the 21st century workplace (and what to do about it), this book is both revelatory and important." -David Abraham, CEO, Channel 4

"Fantastic to see a book with such practical experience and common sense at its heart - let's hope we won't have to talk about glass walls for very long" -Martha Lane-Fox, Entrepreneur

"Practical, insightful and thoroughly enjoyable, this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to see change in their workplace and their life. An inspiring book that is sure to have a huge impact on women in the workplace." -Nicola Mendelsohn CBE, VP for EMEA, Facebook

"This is a rich report on what it is like right now in the complex world of men and women working together. Its specialty is that it allows you to find your own recipe for mastery of a meaningful work life" -Charlotte Beers, Speaker, Author, former CEO Ogilvy Advertising and former Undersecretary of State

"I wish that this book had existed when I was starting out in my career; the advice is so useful, both for women on the way up and for businesses seeking to develop and retain talented women. I would encourage everyone to read it." -Karen Blackett OBE, Chairwoman, MediaCom UK

"Organisations thrive when women are well represented in management. The Glass Wall offers practical wisdom to deconstruct barriers; it's an excellent guide for managers and individuals alike. We can all relate to the material." -Eileen Naughton, VP & Managing Director, UK & Ireland, Google

"There's nothing lofty about this excellent book. It doesn't drone on about the inequity of it all. Instead, it proposes real things that real women (and real men) can do in the real business world so that women's currently untapped potential can be painlessly released - to the benefit of absolutely everyone." -Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO, WPP

From the Publisher