Women have broken through glass ceilings, climbed the corporate ladder, and obtained the impressive title of “CEO.” And yet, men still dominate these positions. In Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office: 101 Unconscious Mistakes Women make That Sabotage Their Careers, Lois P. Frankel, PhD., lists the involuntary mistakes women make that hinder their ability to achieve their full potential. She provides a self-assessment for readers to isolate which areas need improvement and the action steps necessary to take charge of your career. These areas include how you: play the game, act, think, brand yourself, sound, look, and respond. Frankel has more than 25 years of experience as a coach and trainer, and has helped thousands of women across different cultures.
I am fond of books that give tips for professionals because they are concise and filled with extremely useful information. This particular book, however, delves deeper than providing awareness; it ensures that the information will make a drastic change in your career. Within each area there are several tips, some of which are particularly useful to young professionals, like me. Here are just a few to get you started.
Work Hard but not Too Hard
As you begin your career, you want to make a good impression and prove that you are a hard-worker. Women are particularly known for working too hard and without breaks. Working in this manner is detrimental to your health and prohibits you from optimum performance. “Productivity experts suggest that a break every ninety minutes is required to maintain maximum levels of concentration and accuracy. Working without a break also contributes to the impression that you are flustered or inefficient.” Knowing how to work hard and working too hard is imperative for young professionals. Frankel recommends that you make sure to get up every ninety minutes and take advantage of your lunch break. Since I am guilty, I took action, and noticed how much more refreshed I felt afterwards.
Ask Questions
Another faux pas is not asking questions for fear of sounding stupid. We have all been told “no question is stupid,” yet, we still feel this way. A sure way to know is to ask yourself if the answer applies to only you. If it does not, or you know that you will not have another chance to ask, then ask! A tip is to observe people in meetings. If people do not understand the message, you will be able to notice. Capitalize on this opportunity by saying, “I can tell by the looks on people's faces that it’s not quite clear. Can you give us some examples or state it in other words?” Think about it, when someone asks a question that you were thinking, do you not feel a sense of relief? Speak up! Most likely, there are others who feel as you do.
The Last Four Letters of Network are W-O-R-K
Women are guilty of believing that if you do your job well, there will be no fear of losing it, Frankel says. But no one gets promoted solely because they do a good job. Now more than ever, it is necessary to realize the importance of networking and the work required to build and strengthen those relationships. Create a diagram, with you in the center. Add all the people that directly impact your career. Then, develop a way to build or maintain these relationships. Get involved with professional groups and attend networking events. “The more relationships you have in place, the more access you have to information and resources.” Keep a log of all the people you meet and the information they share with you. Believe it or not, it is the weak ties that have the strong results.
Own Your Personal Brand
Finally, women often fail to define their brand. To begin, write down 3-5 things you enjoy doing. Then, identify how these behaviors are strengths in the workplace. Frankel gives the following example of a brand: “My ability to listen effectively enables me to gather data from reluctant sources. In addition, my writing skills allows me to report that data in an objective way. Once the data is collected and reported, I've exhibited the ability to identify and implement solutions to problems." You should be able to tell someone within thirty seconds your values, personality, and abilities. I believe these tips are a great way to organize your behaviors and portray how you are unique, as I am currently using them to develop my own personal brand!
Overall, this book enlightens its readers about the unconscious mistakes they make, and what action steps they need to concentrate on in order to make the most change. Focusing on a few key actions will guarantee that each step is properly incorporated into your daily routine. These tips are not to solve temporary problems, but rather to alter your behavior in order to empower yourself. Know what you are entitled to, understand where you want to be, and do whatever it takes to get there. Control your destiny!
Marilyn Carnevale is a Staff Associate III at Wiss & Company, LLP in Iselin, NJ. She graduated from Rutgers University 2011 and joined the NJSCPA in 2010. A CPA Candidate, Marilyn volunteers as a member of the Tomorrow’s CPA Editorial Advisory Board and E-YoungCPA Writers Pool. She has also written for New Jersey CPA and been a Pay-It-Forward Speaker. She can be contacted at marilyn.carnevale@gmail.com.