An interesting read for any woman looking to improve her career or who is just starting out. It’s not a book about how to be the office bitch either.
Pairs With: A Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha and T-Swift’s song “The Man”
Overview:
Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office* is an interesting read for any female looking to improve her career or who is just starting out.
It’s no surprise that women in the workforce experience a different set of standards than men.
~ Cue The Man by Taylor Swift ~
Women may be viewed as cold or a bitch if they are too strong and achievement-driven. Where if they’re too warm and generous then they’re a pushover, weak or incompetent. (I’ve even been called mousy… ?)
This book helps women navigate the fine line by pointing out areas they can improve. It isn’t a guide to becoming a bitch or completely changing who you are. Instead, it’s about the unconscious “mistakes” women make that harm their careers.
It’s (Still) a Man’s World
Dr. Lois P. Frankel is an executive coach who noticed 133 common slip-ups women were unknowingly making that negatively impacted their careers. In Nice Girls, Frankel lists each mistake and provides a no-nonsense-tough-love explanation for why the action negatively impacts a woman’s career and what to do about it.
She provides ‘Coaching Tips’ for what to work on and how to correct the mistake. Frankel recommends focusing on just a few mistakes to try to tweak at a time. You may already be avoiding some of them and 133 is far too many to try to correct all at once.
Sitting on Your Foot
One mistake that shocked me but now I can’t unsee is, Mistake 108 “Sitting on Your Foot.”
You’ll notice it on talk shows and around the office – women will tuck one leg under them and sit on it. Frankel explains, “It may be cute but it’s not professional… If you want to be taken seriously, sit with both feet on the floor…” (283). This seems like such a small act but Frankel has a point – it’s not very professional. Remember that photo of Kellyanne Conway in the oval office? ?
Conclusion
Women in the workplace still have to play by a different set of standards than men. Nice Girls points out actions women can take to help them navigate the workplace and improve their careers.
What’s your favorite career book? (It doesn’t have to be just for women!)
Have you read The Likeability Trap: How to Break Free and Succeed as You Are by Alicia Menendez? I haven’t yet but it sounds similar to Nice Girls and would love to hear if anyone has!
*Disclaimer: this book written in 2014 and some of the concepts are outdated.
