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

Description

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 cultural 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 to master them. It's not about working harder or being better than men: real concerted success for women comes from having a range of tactics up your sleeve that you can use to take control of any situation. Drawing on Unerman and Jacob's own experience of forging stellar careers in male-dominated businesses, as well as over a hundred interviews with men and women from a range of organisations, 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 both managers and managed need to know to help break down that wall and create better workplaces for all.

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.

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 A new, no-nonsense guide to scaling the ranks * Times *