Book Description
In the bestselling tradition of Play Like a Man, Win Like a Woman comes the breakthrough book that teaches women how to stop sabotaging their careers--and start getting ahead.For every professional woman who wants to get ahead--but feels she is at an impasse--NICE GIRLS DON'T GET THE CORNER OFFICE comes to the rescue. When overlooked for that special assignment or promotion, many women point the finger outwardly, looking for someone else to blame. Now, Lois P. Frankel presents a different view in her empowering career primer that helps women identify ingrained habits they learned as girls that may be holding them back, such as couching statements in a question, smiling inappropriately, tilting the head while speaking, and others. Only by overcoming these self-defeating behaviors will the "nice girl" learn to leverage her power in the workplace--and claim the corner office she so richly deserves.


Download Description
For every professional woman who wants to get ahead—but feels she is at an impasse—NICE GIRLS DON'T GET THE CORNER OFFICE comes to the rescue. Although it's less threatening and more politically correct for women to point the finger outwardly when assessing why they are overlooked for promotions and assignments for which they are superbly qualified, the real answers may lie inward.
In this book, Dr. Lois Frankel, an internationally recognized corporate coach and author, reveals the 101 self-sabotaging behaviors women learn as girls-behaviors and habits that are now holding them back in the workplace, such as couching statements as questions, tilting your head when you speak, waiting to be noticed and pinching company pennies. From executive to entry level, every woman needs to know what she is doing to subconsciously sound, look, act, market herself, and/or be treated like a "girl". This book will help women to become aware of when and how they are damaging their career and it will give them the advice and tips they need to help replace these self-defeating behaviors with more effective ones—and finally claim the corner office they so richly deserve.


About the Author
Lois P. Frankel, Ph.D., lives in Pasadena, California

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In the bestselling tradition of Play Like a Man, Win Like a Woman comes the breakthrough book that teaches women how to stop sabotaging their careers—and start getting ahead. For every professional woman who wants to get ahead—but feels she is at an impasse—Nice Girls Don't Get The Corner Office comes to the rescue. When overlooked for that special assignment or promotion, many women point the finger outwardly, looking for someone else to blame. Now, Lois P. Frankel presents a different view in her empowering career primer that helps women identify ingrained habits they learned as girls that may be holding them back, such as couching statements in a question, smiling inappropriately, tilting the head while speaking, and others. Only by overcoming these self-defeating behaviors will the "nice girl" learn to leverage her power in the workplace—and claim the corner office she so richly deserves.

Author Biography: Lois P. Frankel, Ph. D., lives in Pasadena, California

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal

For more than 20 years, Frankel has coached executives and managers on workplace behavior, and here she seeks to empower women looking to move up in the world. While she does not advocate adopting male behavior to do so, she does constantly tell readers to "quit bein' a girl"-that is, needing to be liked (and not needing to be liked), working too hard, and avoiding office politics, among other actions. Frankel makes her points by describing a mistake from real life on one page and then giving "coaching tips" on the following. Behavioral studies and research are mentioned, but there are no footnotes or bibliography, leaving one to question from whence Frankel's wisdom comes; references to other books and web sites abound. Although spirited and down-to-earth, this self-help book fails to distinguish itself from its many competitors (e.g., Gail Evans's Play Like a Man, Win Like a Woman). Librarians, too, should note that it contains a self-assessment checklist and scorecard. For comprehensive collections. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 10/15/03.]-Margaret Cardwell, Christian Brothers Univ. Lib., Memphis Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Soundview Executive Book Summaries

One Hundred and One Mistakes that Sabotage Women's Careers
Executive coach Lois Frankel has spent many years empowering thousands of women to reach their fullest potential. To help women overcome the deeply imbedded character traits they learned as girls and take control of their careers, Frankel describes more than 100 common mistakes that women make during their careers and prescribes numerous ways they can overcome them. By presenting many invaluable tips that can improve women's social and business skills, Frankel creates a guide for women that can help them eliminate self-defeating behaviors from their actions and grow their careers past previous roadblocks.

Frankel's game plan begins with a self-analysis tool that allows women to assess themselves to determine the areas within them that require improvement. Once readers have found the trouble spots in their behaviors, she then directs them to the parts of her book that can help them overcome behavioral obstacles and attain the levels of self-confidence and leadership they desire. To help women find the areas in themselves that require attention, Frankel offers several examples of the executives she has coached in the past (with names changed), and presents the coaching tips that helped them rise on the corporate ladder, get a raise, and get more respect from their management and peers.

'Quit Bein' a Girl'
Frankel's message throughout Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office is that women do not have to act in ways they were taught. She writes that a female executive should, "Quit bein' a girl," and explains that a woman has choices, and is capable of growing into a role as a leader. By providing concrete suggestions for behavioral changes that have been proven to be effective in helping women progress in their careers, Frankel demonstrates how they can act more like women instead of girls. She also explains that her remedies to a stalled career are much like a diet, and must be committed to fully and applied consistently before they can have their intended effects.

After all the mistakes women make in their careers have been identified, and Frankel's coaching tips have been explained, she describes how women can create a personal development plan with a final chapter dedicated to pulling her guidance together. Warning against complexity, Frankel writes that choosing just one behavior per week on which to focus can help women become more aware of their actions, and understand how they sabotage themselves. Once women have replaced their self-defeating behaviors with more effective ones, they will begin to act more like the women they are capable of becoming and less like the girls they were taught to be.

The Socialization Process
Frankel focuses on the socialization process that has discouraged many women from acting in ways beyond the traditionally determined parameters of society. She points out that when women "live a life circumscribed by the expectations of others, we live a limited life. What does it mean to live our lives as girls rather than women? It means we choose behaviors consistent with those that are expected of us rather than those that move us toward fulfillment and self-actualization."

Frankel also explains that women often miss opportunities to get the career-improving assignments or promotions because they are reluctant to showcase their capabilities, hesitant to speak at meetings, and working so hard that they forget to build the relationships they need for long-term success.

Here are a few of the specific mistakes Frankel addresses and her tips for overcoming them: Mistake #47: Using Only Your Nickname or First Name. You'll be much more likely to be taken seriously if you don't use your childhood nickname for professional purposes. (You've never heard people refer to Billie Gates, Jackie Welch or Sammy Walton.) Mistake #50: Being Modest. Completely, totally and permanently erase the phrase Oh - it was nothing from your vocabulary. Prominently display awards or plaques. Mistake #59: Asking Permission. Inform others of your intentions; don't ask for permission. By informing others you show respect for their need to know, but without your action being contingent upon their approval.