Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office
Photo: Medum.com
A couple years ago I went on a reading binge. I committed myself to reading one book each month and by the end of that year I had read fifteen. Of all the books I read that year, this one by far stood out the most. I’ve gone as far as to purchase this book for others and even lending my personal copy just so others could bask in the amazingness (yep I said it) that is this book.
In “Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office”, author Dr. Lois P Frankel shares over 100 unconscious mistakes women make that sabotage our careers. From how we act to how we think and even how we look and sound, all can have unintended effects on our career success. Although this book is clearly written for women, I would recommend men skimming the book as well to familiarize themselves with some of the challenges women face in the workplace.
What I love most about this book is that it’s written to be a practical guide that you can revisit throughout various points in your career. I plan to re-read this book and I hope that I have corrected some of the “mistakes” I was making a few years ago although I’m sure I’ll discover new “mistakes” that I am making today.
By now, I’m sure you’ve already gone on Amazon or Barnes and Noble to purchase your copy right? But before you crack open this masterpiece, I want to offer you a few tips that I think will help you get the most from this book.
Purchase the hardcopy!
This is essentially a workbook and there are exercises throughout. You’d do yourself a disservice by purchasing the audiobook only or downloading a digital copy. If you just can’t fathom purchasing a hardcopy then I would at least recommend you keep a journal where you can write notes and actively engage with the content in the book
Honesty + Humility = Growth
You might need to have a “Come the Jesus” meeting…with yourself. To get the most out of this book, you need to be honest with yourself and eat a little humble pie. We all have things we can work on so there is no shame in trying to improve. Plus this is your personal journey so in the words of Auntie Tabitha “that’s your business”!
Take what you need…leave the rest
Dr Frankel shares over 100 unconscious mistakes so it’s overwhelming to think that all of them apply to you. Not all tips, behaviors, mistakes, or habits will resonate with you at this stage in your career so I encourage you to take what applies to you, work on it, and then revisit the book in a few years to see if anything new comes up for you.
Read this out of order
This is key! At the beginning of the book, you are asked to take a quiz which reveals your area(s) of development as well as the area(s) where you are strong. You can read the book cover to cover starting at chapter 1 and ending at chapter 8 but in doing so, you may not be giving time and attention to your main area(s) of development. I read the book out of order starting with the areas I was weakest then moving on to the areas I was strongest until i finished the whole book.
Ok...ok...ok…
Have I convinced you yet? Hopefully so. Let me know if you’ve read the book or plan to read it and what were your thoughts.