What You’ll Learn

Unconscious gender biases run rampant in organizations today. Women are less likely to be given credit for their work, tend to command lower salaries, and are less likely to be promoted, especially to key leadership and C-suite positions, than their male colleagues. Because of gender biases inherent in our culture, women often struggle to make their voices heard, avoid getting involved with office politics, and shy away from negotiating for the roles and salaries they deserve. It may feel like there’s no way out: When they do speak out or talk about their achievements, women may be considered overly aggressive.

While systemic biases are not women’s problem to solve, the reality is that in many cases women must still navigate around them to reach their career goals. If you are a woman and these challenges sound familiar to you, there are ways to develop how you communicate, present yourself, and connect with others so that you can break past these biases and become more effective in the workplace and in more control of your career.

In this book, women will learn to:

• Understand the biases preventing their advancement in the workplace—and the self-defeating behaviors that those biases can trigger
• Come across as more confident by using more definitive, muscular language
• Promote their expertise and experience through a robust personal brand
• Share strong opinions without being perceived as pushy or emotional
• Turn “office housework” requests into real opportunities for growth
• Build a network of support, including relationships with mentors and sponsors
• Display leadership potential through vision and decisiveness
• Strike the right balance between an outwardly imposed “professional” appearance and one that is authentic—especially for women of color
• Work through their hesitation to negotiate
• Respond to an inappropriate, sexist, or racist remark at work
• Encourage their organizations to change