Turn the top 7 career breakers for women into career makers Statistically, more than one-third of Fortune 500 managers are women-and yet we represent barely five percent of the top earners among executives. Usually, we blame it on men-those “old boy” networks that don't typically welcome women into “the club.” But, according to leadership coach Rebecca Shambaugh, the real obstacle to women's advancement is not a “glass ceiling.” It's the self-imposed career blocks that prevent us from moving up. These are the 7 “sticky floors”: 1. Balancing Your Work and Life 2. Embracing “Good Enough” in Your Work 3. Making the Break 4. Making Your Words Count 5. Forming Your Own Board of Directors 6. Capitalizing on Your Political Savvy 7. Asking for What You Want Admit it: You've probably been “stuck” in at least one or more of these situations. Maybe you're a perfectionist who has trouble letting go of a task. Maybe you're so loyal to your company that you haven't explored other career options. Maybe you're afraid of speaking up in meetings. Or maybe you're so accommodating to others' needs that you never take care of your own. This book will show you how to get unstuck from these common traps. You'll discover how other successful women have managed to break out of middle management jobs to grab the top leadership positions. You'll hear hard-won advice from working mothers who also happen to be CEOs, including proven tricks of the trade when it comes to juggling career and family. You'll learn how to conquer your insecurities, transform your thinking, tailor your behavior, and demand the kind of professional recognition you deserve. There's even a section of fill-in charts and checklists at the end of the book to help you stay on track, in control, and on the rise. Once you've freed yourself from life's sticky floors, there's nowhere to go but up.

At this time of social flux, of changing demographics on campus and the world beyond, of recognition of intersectional identities, as well as the wide variety of aspirations and career goals of today's women undergraduates, how can colleges and universities best prepare them for the demands of modern leadership? This text speaks to the changing context of today’s women students' experiences, recognizing that their work life goals may go beyond climbing the corporate ladder to include social innovation and entrepreneurial goals, policy and politics, and social activism.This book is a product of multiple collaborations and intellectual contributions of a diverse group of undergraduate and graduate women who helped shape the course on which it is based. They provided research support, critical readings, as well as the diverse narratives that are included throughout the book, not as an ideal for readers to aspire to but as an authentic expression of how their distinct and sometimes non-conforming lived experiences shaped their understandings of leadership. It goes beyond hero/she-ro person-centered approaches to get at the complex and intrapersonal nature of leadership. It also situates intersectional identities, critical consciousness, and student development theory as important lenses throughout the text.Recognizing that there are many possible manifestations of leadership or gender, this text encourages students to embrace the contradictions rather than engaging in dualistic, black-and-white thinking, challenging them to address such questions as, Should women “lean in” and work harder to achieve their own leadership goals, or should they focus on bigger systemic issues to create equity in the workplace?Each chapter concludes with a brief chapter review, a narrative from a current college student, and critical reflection questions.

Blurred Transparencies in Contemporary Glass Architecture brings to light complex readings of transparent glass through close observations of six pivotal works of architecture. Written from the perspectives of a practitioner, the six essays challenge assumptions about fragility and visual transparency of glass. A material imbued with idealism and utopic vision, glass has captured architects’ imagination, and glass’s fragility and difficulties in thermal control continue to present technical challenges. In recent decades, architecture has witnessed an emergence of technological advancements in chemical coating, structural engineering, and fabrication methods that resulted in new kinds of glass transparencies. Buildings examined in the book include a sanatorium with expansive windows delivering light and air to recovering tuberculosis patients, a pavilion with a crystal clear glass plenum circulating air for heating and cooling, a glass monument symbolizing the screen of personal devices that shortened the distance between machines and humans, and a glass building symbolizing the social and material intertwining in the glass ceiling metaphor. Connecting material glass to broader cultural and social contexts, Blurred Transparencies in Contemporary Glass Architecture enlightens students and practitioners of architecture as well as the general public with interest in design. The author demonstrates how glass is rarely crystal clear but is blurred both materially and metaphysically, revealing complex readings of ideas for which glass continues to stand.

This perceptive analysis exposes five paradoxes that put women in no-win professional situations and concludes with a new model for business, which the authors call a coed corporation.

The third edition of this classic text helps readers consider the myriad ways gendered attitudes and practices influence communication in our personal and professional interactions. Written in an engaging style, with a wide array of exercises designed to challenge and interest readers in applying what they learn, the book integrates research with examples from contemporary life related to gender and culture, race, class, and media. Among new topics covered in this edition are multiple genders, gender activism and the #MeToo movement, and challenges of twenty-first-century masculinities and femininities, including expanded coverage of contemporary male issues. Fresh coverage is also afforded to each communication context, particularly gender at work, the legal and political spheres, global cultures, and the digital world, including social media. The book is ideally suited for undergraduate courses in gender and communication within communication studies, sociology, and business departments. Online resources include lecture slides and an instructor’s manual.

This powerful resource investigates how a positive work–life balance can help create engaged, productive employees, how imbalances in work–life balance create serious issues for workers, and identifies different ways to greatly improve one's work–life balance. Of the 35 countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), all except the United States provide nationwide paid maternity leave. This is but one example of how the United States has not made adequate provisions to safeguard the work–life balance of its workforce—to the detriment of the overall economic prosperity of the nation. This insightful book shows how problematic an out-of-balance work-to-life ratio is, gives readers the raw data and information to prioritize their values, and describes tools available for selecting a position that matches an individual's talents and is congruent with her desired work–life balance. Work–Life Balance examines the controversies associated with work–life balance in the modern era and emphasizes how winning the struggle to achieve work–life balance requires buy-in from employees, management, and government. Readers will appreciate how optimizing their work–life balance may incorporate employee assistance programs, flextime, improved time management skills, technology-enabled tools, and community programs. The author explains how choosing an appropriate occupation is the first step toward having a positive work–life balance and avoiding the twin scourges of depression and job dissatisfaction. Comparisons between typical benefits in the United States with those in other countries provide data that can be used to advocate and negotiate for greater flexibility, fairness in gender equality, and better employer-employee relationships.

The must-read guide to understanding corporate politics in order to get ahead Designed to provide the reader with an understanding of corporate politics from a positive perspective, I Wish I'd Known That Earlier in My Career uses case studies to teach the essentials of organizational dynamics, power networks, and the decision-making processes and dilemmas involved in business. Examining corporate politics and the barriers many managers face in their efforts to reach the top, the book works to build awareness and strategies for business and career success. Taking a refreshing new approach to workplace politics, the book presents new ways to think about embracing opportunities in order to achieve personal and organization-wide career satisfaction. Rather than encouraging employees to move on and start their own businesses, it instead details how to move up within their current companies by learning to understand power bases and conversation more thoroughly. Combines individual case studies and real life situations with helpful tips and techniques designed to help overcome corporate challenges Each chapter tells a story that illustrates a constructive concept that can be easily learned and applied in the real world Covers topics including: political savvy, the benefits of self-promotion, performance management, sexual harassment, and other organizational challenges Essential reading for anyone looking to move forward in their professional life, I Wish I'd Known That Earlier in My Career provides genuinely helpful advice in a highly accessible, easily applicable way.