Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office: Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers
BOOK REVIEWS BY BINOD
BINOD’S RATING: 8.621/10
I have never rated a book 10/10 but as per the complex BBRA (Binod Book Rating Algorithm), this ranks among the highest at 8.621/10.
No, don’t run away because the cover mentions girls. Its misleading because 80 + % of the 133 mistakes mentioned in this book are relevant to men AND women.
My top 25 quotes from this book:
1. “If you are busy doing you don’t have time to provide the vision, guidance, technical support and oversight required of a leader”
2. “It is unlikely that you will change the size of the playing field to suit your needs. Playing your game at the edge can help to stretch the boundaries, but if it’s too narrowly defined for you, start looking for a bigger field”
3. “A personal brand is a promise of performance”
4. “If you’re not spending 5 % of your day building relationships, you’re doing something wrong”
5. “Promotions are rewards for getting the job done, not necessarily doing the job”
6. “Don’t make things look too easy and tell people when you’re inconveniencing yourself for them”
7. “There are two kinds of people in the world: careerists and achievers. Achievers keep busy by doing the work. Careerists spend time managing their careers. You’ve got to be a little bit of both to get ahead”
8. “Avoiding politics is like avoiding the weather. Politics is how things get done. If you are not involved in office politics, you are not playing the game and if you aren’t playing the game you can’t win’
9. “Trying to change your boss is a waste of time”
10.“Every single day take time to build or strengthen a relationship”
11.“Find a work environment that complements your natural style”
12.“Don’t wait to be given what you want- ask for it”
13. “Waiting to be noticed will not get you where you want to be. You’ve got to know your brand and sell it when the opportunity arises”
14.“If climbing the corporate ladder is important for you, there is no such thing as work life balance”
15.“An important part of building relationships at work is identifying the quid pro quo. What do you have that others need and what do others have that you need?
16.“Lose the notion that meetings are supposed to be valuable, interesting or worth your time. That’s really naïve. Meetings provide the ideal opportunity to see and be seen, meet and greet or play show and tell”
17.“Strive for 80% perfection. The difference between 100% and 80% won’t be noticed by most people but will buy you more time to shift to other important tasks”
18. “When you are asked to introduce yourself what do you say? Hundreds of people give Lukewarm introductions. Does what you say make a memorable impression or get lost?”
19. “Continually showcase your achievements in subtle ways”
20. “Most people are reluctant to give honest feedback so when you get it consider it a gift”
21. “Make sure you have a life outside of work that you want to go home to. Workaholism is often an excuse for not having a life”
22. “On personal development, resist the urge to get carried away with too many commitments. Its not the number of things that you change that is important but selecting those few behaviors that will make the biggest difference”
23. “Doing everything you are supposed to be doing isn’t proactive”
24. “Play the game within bounds, but at the edges”
25. “If you aren’t sure something is fair, do it anyway. If you aren’t sure something is ethical, ask”
Must read. Go get a copy NOW.