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Escute o que ela diz: O que os homens precisam saber (e as mulheres falar) sobre trabalhar juntos
As mulheres passam sua vida profissional inteira adaptando-se a um ambiente criado para os homens e pelos homens: desde alterar a maneira como falam e escrevem até mudar as roupas que vestem. Ainda assim a diferença de gênero persiste. E uma vez que você vê isso – mulheres sendo negligenciadas, interrompidas, suas ideias creditadas aos homens – é impossível ignorar.
Podemos – e devemos – mudar esse cenário.
Mergulhando no vasto leque de iniciativas governamentais, experiências corporativas e pesquisas em ciências sociais, Joanne Lipman oferece fascinantes revelações sobre o modo como homens e mulheres trabalham. Repleta de exemplos fascinantes e divertidos – desde a mulher por trás do sucesso da Tupperware até a forma como o Google reinventou seu processo de contratação – Escute o que ela diz é um grito de guerra para homens e mulheres finalmente darem passos reais rumo à redução da diferença de gênero.
Podemos – e devemos – mudar esse cenário.
Mergulhando no vasto leque de iniciativas governamentais, experiências corporativas e pesquisas em ciências sociais, Joanne Lipman oferece fascinantes revelações sobre o modo como homens e mulheres trabalham. Repleta de exemplos fascinantes e divertidos – desde a mulher por trás do sucesso da Tupperware até a forma como o Google reinventou seu processo de contratação – Escute o que ela diz é um grito de guerra para homens e mulheres finalmente darem passos reais rumo à redução da diferença de gênero.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 30, 2018
248 people are currently reading
4079 people want to read
About the author
Joanne Lipman
10 books69 followersAward-winning journalist Joanne Lipman is author of the No. 1 bestseller THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID and NEXT! The Power of Reinvention in Life and Work. She is also a Yale University lecturer and CNBC on-air contributor.
Previously, Lipman served as editor in chief of USA Today, USA Today Network, Conde Nast Portfolio, and the Wall Street Journal Weekend, leading those organizations to a combined six Pulitzer Prizes.
At Gannett, where she was also chief content officer, Lipman led USA Today plus 109 local newspapers including the Detroit Free Press, the Des Moines Register, and the Arizona Republic. In that role, she oversaw more than 3,000 journalists and led the organization to three Pulitzer Prizes.
Lipman began her career as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, ultimately rising to deputy managing editor – the first woman to attain that post – and supervising coverage that won three Pulitzer Prizes.
Lipman is a frequent public speaker and has appeared as a television commentator on ABC, NBC, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, and PBS. Her work has been published in outlets including The New York Times, Time, Newsweek and the Harvard Business Review. She is co-author, with Melanie Kupchynsky, of the acclaimed music memoir “Strings Attached.”
A winner of the Matrix Award for women in communications, Lipman serves or has served on the Yale University Council, the boards of the Knights Orchestra, the World Editors Forum, and the advisory boards of Breastcancer.org and the Yale School of Music. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. and She and her husband live in New York City and are the parents of two grown children.
= Yale grad, mom of two, lapsed viola player. For more, please visit JoanneLipman.com
Previously, Lipman served as editor in chief of USA Today, USA Today Network, Conde Nast Portfolio, and the Wall Street Journal Weekend, leading those organizations to a combined six Pulitzer Prizes.
At Gannett, where she was also chief content officer, Lipman led USA Today plus 109 local newspapers including the Detroit Free Press, the Des Moines Register, and the Arizona Republic. In that role, she oversaw more than 3,000 journalists and led the organization to three Pulitzer Prizes.
Lipman began her career as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, ultimately rising to deputy managing editor – the first woman to attain that post – and supervising coverage that won three Pulitzer Prizes.
Lipman is a frequent public speaker and has appeared as a television commentator on ABC, NBC, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, and PBS. Her work has been published in outlets including The New York Times, Time, Newsweek and the Harvard Business Review. She is co-author, with Melanie Kupchynsky, of the acclaimed music memoir “Strings Attached.”
A winner of the Matrix Award for women in communications, Lipman serves or has served on the Yale University Council, the boards of the Knights Orchestra, the World Editors Forum, and the advisory boards of Breastcancer.org and the Yale School of Music. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. and She and her husband live in New York City and are the parents of two grown children.
= Yale grad, mom of two, lapsed viola player. For more, please visit JoanneLipman.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 187 reviews
February 28, 2018
Wish there were more clear cut solutions. This is a great read and I’d encourage everyone, but particularly fellow males, to read it deeply and become an ally.
February 19, 2018
I like this book. I would probably recommend it as a primer on the research and perspective on the topic of women and work, though I have some quibbles, it's generally a good recap of the studies and approaches.
I was hoping to get more about "what men need to know" and how to engage men in ways that don't make them feel "guilty" or "beaten by a 2X4". I didn't feel there was much explicit advice on that front, besides 'the goals of diversity align with the goals of existing metrics of profit and success'. It did discuss how we've seen backlash on trainings and sometimes diversity training can be counterproductive. But, we don't really know the answer.
All in all, an easy read, comprehensive on a number of topics, largely based on research. The interpretation of the research is generally good and in line with the data. The major issue I have is with the chapter on crying. That chapter just really didn't seem helpful and I'm not sure those studies are very good.
I listened to the audiobook during my commute. It was a good alternative, since I'm not trying to look up the references. I've already read most of them.... except that one study at Carnegie Mellon on job ads. I know job ads are profiling people based on age, but sex too seemed crazy. But, so it is.
I was hoping to get more about "what men need to know" and how to engage men in ways that don't make them feel "guilty" or "beaten by a 2X4". I didn't feel there was much explicit advice on that front, besides 'the goals of diversity align with the goals of existing metrics of profit and success'. It did discuss how we've seen backlash on trainings and sometimes diversity training can be counterproductive. But, we don't really know the answer.
All in all, an easy read, comprehensive on a number of topics, largely based on research. The interpretation of the research is generally good and in line with the data. The major issue I have is with the chapter on crying. That chapter just really didn't seem helpful and I'm not sure those studies are very good.
I listened to the audiobook during my commute. It was a good alternative, since I'm not trying to look up the references. I've already read most of them.... except that one study at Carnegie Mellon on job ads. I know job ads are profiling people based on age, but sex too seemed crazy. But, so it is.
June 18, 2018
"I'm glad we've begun to raise our daughters more like our sons, but it will never work until we raise our sons more like our daughters." ~ Gloria Steinem
I wouldn't recommend as much as implore you to read this book. Part of solving any problem starts with awareness, even those as staggering as continuing gender inequality. Considering society's male-centric structures and widespread unconscious biases, significant progress still must be made. Lipman has created a brilliant piece of work supported by a balance of anecdotal stories, personal examples, empirical evidence, the experiences of others, and deep research. While eye-opening and a reminder of the major changes that still need to take place, "That's What She Said" is filled with optimism for the future and guidance on how we move forward together to raise women up so we are all equal. Change won't come all at once, but Lipman shares initial things we can do to make sure we head in the right direction. Men need to do more, we need to be better advocates. We need to be part of the conversation and more comfortable speaking about gender. I can do more, I will do more, and I invite all of us to reach across the gender divide. After all, it's not a women's issue, it's a human issue.
I wouldn't recommend as much as implore you to read this book. Part of solving any problem starts with awareness, even those as staggering as continuing gender inequality. Considering society's male-centric structures and widespread unconscious biases, significant progress still must be made. Lipman has created a brilliant piece of work supported by a balance of anecdotal stories, personal examples, empirical evidence, the experiences of others, and deep research. While eye-opening and a reminder of the major changes that still need to take place, "That's What She Said" is filled with optimism for the future and guidance on how we move forward together to raise women up so we are all equal. Change won't come all at once, but Lipman shares initial things we can do to make sure we head in the right direction. Men need to do more, we need to be better advocates. We need to be part of the conversation and more comfortable speaking about gender. I can do more, I will do more, and I invite all of us to reach across the gender divide. After all, it's not a women's issue, it's a human issue.
August 6, 2018
(4.0) Worth a lot more people reading and discussing.
There's a lot of statement of the problem in this book, and I was a little worried that she wouldn't eventually get to the chapter on what to do about it. She's got a lot of things that we can do as individuals to help women in their careers. Kind of the other side of Lean In if you will. A lot of them are what we should already be working on: stopping interruptions, attributing ideas to the original speaker, encouraging more equal participation in meetings/discussions, taking parental leave (and companies making it equal for mothers and non-mothers).
The area I hadn't thought nearly as much about is bringing women back into the workforce after working in the home for a number of years...particularly by helping them change careers or build new skills. There's a huge pool of intelligent women who could be great engineers and problem-solvers that we're missing out on....I know there are programs working to help this group of women, but I'm guessing they need a lot of help--if only to scale to help more women!
There's a lot of statement of the problem in this book, and I was a little worried that she wouldn't eventually get to the chapter on what to do about it. She's got a lot of things that we can do as individuals to help women in their careers. Kind of the other side of Lean In if you will. A lot of them are what we should already be working on: stopping interruptions, attributing ideas to the original speaker, encouraging more equal participation in meetings/discussions, taking parental leave (and companies making it equal for mothers and non-mothers).
The area I hadn't thought nearly as much about is bringing women back into the workforce after working in the home for a number of years...particularly by helping them change careers or build new skills. There's a huge pool of intelligent women who could be great engineers and problem-solvers that we're missing out on....I know there are programs working to help this group of women, but I'm guessing they need a lot of help--if only to scale to help more women!
December 16, 2022
"Bosnya cewek atau cowok?"--pernah nggak mencuri dengar pertanyaan serupa?
Selama membaca That's What She Said, aku jadi mengoreksi diri apakah pernah melontarkan pernyataan seksis dalam ruang kerja/profesional. Pasalnya, bos atau pemimpin perempuan kerap dilabeli sebagai sosok yang "bossy", "galak", "tegas", "nggak kompeten mimpin." Label negatif yang ternyata kalau dirunut lagi...disampaikan oleh laki-laki.
Joanne Lipman membuka buku dengan mengatakan bahwa perempuan nggak bisa jadi perempuan untuk diterima oleh koleganya. Juga nggak bisa jadi "laki-laki" karena akan memunculkan narasi negatif. Namun perempuan terus mencoba agar masuk ke dalam lingkungan profesional yang standarnya dibuat oleh laki-laki. Women are being outcast, the outliers.
Dalam 10 bab, Lipman menilik ulang bagaimana bias gender merugikan keduabelah pihak. Baik laki-laki & perempuan sama-sama nggak dapat keuntungan kalau timnya isinya cuma dari satu gender tertentu. Lipman lebih banyak "menegus" secara halus tentang tingkah laki-laki yang mendiskreditkan perempuan. Seperti, motong presentasi perempuan & nggak membiarkan dia menyelesaikan kalimatnya.
Selain itu, akibat dari patriarki yang mensubordinasi perempuan ialah bagaimana perempuan nggak berani buat give themselves the credit, sering ngerasa nggak capable buat jabatan tertentu. Beda banget dibanding laki-laki yang over pede 🤭
That's What She Said bikin aku berpikir lagi how I see my workplace. Sudahkah lensa gender digunakan untuk kebaikan bersama atau didismissed gitu aja karena "loh kan perempuan udah dapet ini itu"? Aku suka sekali dengan kemasan buku ini. Ringan & blak-blakan. Nggak pake marah-marah tapi pembaca bisa dapat poin Lipman "Kenapa sih harus bahas persoalan ini?"
That's What She Said nggak cuma kudu dibaca mereka yg udah ada di bursa kerja, melainkan juga penting buat yg baru mau masuk dunia "nyata." Supaya nggak bisa dibodohi/diabaikan/diperalat sama seniornya hehe 😝 IYKYK
Selama membaca That's What She Said, aku jadi mengoreksi diri apakah pernah melontarkan pernyataan seksis dalam ruang kerja/profesional. Pasalnya, bos atau pemimpin perempuan kerap dilabeli sebagai sosok yang "bossy", "galak", "tegas", "nggak kompeten mimpin." Label negatif yang ternyata kalau dirunut lagi...disampaikan oleh laki-laki.
Joanne Lipman membuka buku dengan mengatakan bahwa perempuan nggak bisa jadi perempuan untuk diterima oleh koleganya. Juga nggak bisa jadi "laki-laki" karena akan memunculkan narasi negatif. Namun perempuan terus mencoba agar masuk ke dalam lingkungan profesional yang standarnya dibuat oleh laki-laki. Women are being outcast, the outliers.
Dalam 10 bab, Lipman menilik ulang bagaimana bias gender merugikan keduabelah pihak. Baik laki-laki & perempuan sama-sama nggak dapat keuntungan kalau timnya isinya cuma dari satu gender tertentu. Lipman lebih banyak "menegus" secara halus tentang tingkah laki-laki yang mendiskreditkan perempuan. Seperti, motong presentasi perempuan & nggak membiarkan dia menyelesaikan kalimatnya.
Selain itu, akibat dari patriarki yang mensubordinasi perempuan ialah bagaimana perempuan nggak berani buat give themselves the credit, sering ngerasa nggak capable buat jabatan tertentu. Beda banget dibanding laki-laki yang over pede 🤭
That's What She Said bikin aku berpikir lagi how I see my workplace. Sudahkah lensa gender digunakan untuk kebaikan bersama atau didismissed gitu aja karena "loh kan perempuan udah dapet ini itu"? Aku suka sekali dengan kemasan buku ini. Ringan & blak-blakan. Nggak pake marah-marah tapi pembaca bisa dapat poin Lipman "Kenapa sih harus bahas persoalan ini?"
That's What She Said nggak cuma kudu dibaca mereka yg udah ada di bursa kerja, melainkan juga penting buat yg baru mau masuk dunia "nyata." Supaya nggak bisa dibodohi/diabaikan/diperalat sama seniornya hehe 😝 IYKYK
April 26, 2018
So I had really high hopes for this book. There's such a need for real conversation & depth of anlaysis on gender bias in workplace, hiring processes, and building institutional competencies in these regards.
Unfortunately, this book felt like a retread of other similar books, both in scope and analysis. I don't disagree with most anything in this book. I just was hoping for greater depth in the arguments. There are a lot of assumptions based on slim evidence (or at least slimly presented). I think the topic deserves so much better than the ole McKinsey 1-2-3 template. Ms. Lipman's writing seems rooted in large-scale corporations, from (and for) a mostly white perspective. That leaves out *a lot* of America, and the arguments end of feeling similarly narrow in scope.
The book at times seems so deeply invested in narrow studies that it misses some of the bigger opportunities. For example, Ms. Lipman uses as an aside an anecdote about a 'Senior Google engineer who jury-rigged a solution' by sending out regular emails supporting women to nominate themselves for promotion. To me that's not jury-rigging - that's the start of a cultural change at the institution. And that's huge! Worth exploring more.
I found one of the last chapters on Iceland's financial crisis (and the country's gender-focused response) to be totally fascinating, that was new to me. Also appreciated a passage on how better 'diversity training' becomes 'implicit bias training,' and a connected focus on positive conditioning rather than deficit orientations.
Obviously my review is based on what I was looking for. I'm glad to see it's found a receptive audience and readership! The more of these books published the better.
Unfortunately, this book felt like a retread of other similar books, both in scope and analysis. I don't disagree with most anything in this book. I just was hoping for greater depth in the arguments. There are a lot of assumptions based on slim evidence (or at least slimly presented). I think the topic deserves so much better than the ole McKinsey 1-2-3 template. Ms. Lipman's writing seems rooted in large-scale corporations, from (and for) a mostly white perspective. That leaves out *a lot* of America, and the arguments end of feeling similarly narrow in scope.
The book at times seems so deeply invested in narrow studies that it misses some of the bigger opportunities. For example, Ms. Lipman uses as an aside an anecdote about a 'Senior Google engineer who jury-rigged a solution' by sending out regular emails supporting women to nominate themselves for promotion. To me that's not jury-rigging - that's the start of a cultural change at the institution. And that's huge! Worth exploring more.
I found one of the last chapters on Iceland's financial crisis (and the country's gender-focused response) to be totally fascinating, that was new to me. Also appreciated a passage on how better 'diversity training' becomes 'implicit bias training,' and a connected focus on positive conditioning rather than deficit orientations.
Obviously my review is based on what I was looking for. I'm glad to see it's found a receptive audience and readership! The more of these books published the better.
August 26, 2018
I am that one person who didn’t really love the book “Lean In”, so I thought I might feel the same, here. However, this book was much better for me. I agree that there is still a long way to go for all of us, but I like that this book doesn’t look for places to place the blame. Men aren’t the enemy and women don’t have to change...we need to work together to evolve some very hard-wired perceptions. We all need to challenge ourselves to open our minds, a bit, to how we value certain traits and styles and skills. I plan to put this on my calendar to reread, or at least revisit my highlighted sections, at least once every six months.
March 14, 2018
I was more informed by reading this book. The examples and easy journalistic style seems common in business life books today. Much of what Lipman says is applicable to any class of workers who are not alpha-males; e.g. older workers, minorities, etc. She seems very focused on driven females who have expensive educations, college debt and live in high-cost of living cities.
My takeaways are to be more cognizant when I may be interrupting others and building up those who may be timid or humble.
My takeaways are to be more cognizant when I may be interrupting others and building up those who may be timid or humble.
December 14, 2024
I admit I entered this book skeptically. At first glance of the chapter titles, I knew this was going to be a written collection of the numerous seminars, conferences, and round tables I’ve attended over the years focused on the inequities in the workforce. The concern about a written collection is that I can’t leave after an hour or two. And when you live the inequities, an hour or two of this information is about all I can take. I tried to hold on to optimism that the writing style could perhaps overcome some of my fears but alas, it was worse. While 1 in every 10 facts was mildly interesting, this read like nothing more than a list of statistics with no direction. I found the authors biggest mistake is that she didn’t define her audience. Who are these statistics for? Why should we care? If it’s truly “what men need to know” I don’t see any man finding this presentation welcoming or interesting. And if it’s truly “what women need to tell them” then save a few chapters for guidance on how to have conversations in your career to correct unconscious bias instead of simply telling us it exists. We know we live it. But how are we going to change it?
December 26, 2022
Mmm... 3,75.
She makes good points, but some stuff just lacks contrast.
Yes, there is sexual discrimination, we are socialised differently, we make ad hoc judgements on people based on trivial things; but there seems to be real biological differences between males and females. (Also... should we not use heuristics at all? I don't see a way around it. Best scenario we learn to look for cues when we might be mistaken. I mean... don't women have their own stereotypes of men?)
I did like Lipman including a few points on transgenders who have transitioned and how their new gender roles come together with biased opinions on them.
Also, though this type of books are well-intended, they most certainly should focus on pushing women to be more open about their experiences. Yes, it svcks to be the pink elephant in the room, but when you're the pink elephant in the room... you kind of are.
The book is mostly nice, but it would have been nice a bit more depth and more detailed statistics (yes, I'm aware it's not an academic book). The narrator was good.
She makes good points, but some stuff just lacks contrast.
Yes, there is sexual discrimination, we are socialised differently, we make ad hoc judgements on people based on trivial things; but there seems to be real biological differences between males and females. (Also... should we not use heuristics at all? I don't see a way around it. Best scenario we learn to look for cues when we might be mistaken. I mean... don't women have their own stereotypes of men?)
I did like Lipman including a few points on transgenders who have transitioned and how their new gender roles come together with biased opinions on them.
Also, though this type of books are well-intended, they most certainly should focus on pushing women to be more open about their experiences. Yes, it svcks to be the pink elephant in the room, but when you're the pink elephant in the room... you kind of are.
The book is mostly nice, but it would have been nice a bit more depth and more detailed statistics (yes, I'm aware it's not an academic book). The narrator was good.
November 2, 2021
Read this with my work bookclub. As a women in business, I’ve read a lot on this topic already (so I may have rated a bit critically), but if you haven’t read much about the gender gap, I would definitely recommend it! Especially male readers who, as this book emphasizes, have to come to the table for this to really change. A few super interesting parts that were new to me were the Iceland chapter, the real problem about women asking for raises (that they have to ask), and how women will make a company more successful - love it!
June 16, 2024
First and last time I do an audiobook. Overall though, great book. It has some great testimonials and facts about gender disparities in the workplace. The author does a great job at not blaming anyone but simply providing useful information.
April 17, 2018
Probably more useful than “lean in” but still errs somewhat on the depressing details chapter after chapter on just how tough the realty for any woman daring to leave the home for the work place. A few good tips and interesting success stories of companies / business schools making a difference. Yes definitely women won’t make a difference on their own, they need male allies, supporters and sponsors.
March 2, 2018
great. everybody read. I found the advice valuable and not vilifying or preachy.
May 16, 2018
Rating:
2.5 stars? I'm conflicted. It was 3 or 4-star valuable to me, but stars are "likes" and I didn't, like reading the first half of this book.
Review:
I was hoping for a stronger rooting in science: studies, graphs, trends, with proven-effective steps everyone can take to make a difference. This book felt more like the results of reading business publications, a year of searching the web, and the author’s experiences as a successful career woman and mother. Having no footnotes in the text, instead listing them at the back with the page numbers allows for quicker reading, but when I had a question, it was difficult to match the footnotes to the text. This discouraged me from diging deeper. Worse, I felt some of the summaries were exaggerated for effect.
For instance, in Chapter 5, pages 113-114: looking at someone’s breasts is not abuse. It can be disrespectful, unprofessional, creepy, or sophomoric. It’s wrong if you’re her boss, maybe an “abuse of power,” but it’s not sexual abuse. I feel like I’m nitpicking; it’s only one word. But it undermined my trust and made me question every other summary in the book. Some other summaries felt stretched thin, but that was the only one that hit the breaking point for me.
There is a lot of good in here. Stories and descriptions of the barriers women actually face. Resistance against tearing down those barriers. A few steps for overcoming that resistance (like parental leave and blind auditions). Examples of everyone – including men - succeeding when women are included. The few, brief transgender perspectives were especially illuminating. There was even some good summaries of scientific studies (just not as much as I had hoped for, and sometimes hard to trust).
Later chapters switched into more personal storytelling and I found them much easier reading. The stories of balancing a career with parenting were engaging. The author’s visit to Iceland - “The best place in the world to be a woman” - was fascinating and particularly well written.
I’d like to see an entire book written about what white men have to gain from women and minorities competing fairly with them. "That's What She Said" had a few good examples, which I appreciated.
Conclusion:
It will be interesting to see how much I refer to this book over time.
If you’re at all aware of women in the workforce, the amount of groundbreaking, actionable information fits in the 4 page “cheat sheet” at the end. I wish I’d read that at the beginning! That may sound scathing, but it would probably be true of any current book written on women in the workplace.
The sad truth is that we don’t know much about gender and work, and we’re learning very slowly. We need more, better, and more creative research. As a society, we’re at a point where we generally understand the problem, but lack proven solutions. I think we need more people to share their experiences, and we all need to be willing to listen with open hearts and minds.
2.5 stars? I'm conflicted. It was 3 or 4-star valuable to me, but stars are "likes" and I didn't, like reading the first half of this book.
Review:
I was hoping for a stronger rooting in science: studies, graphs, trends, with proven-effective steps everyone can take to make a difference. This book felt more like the results of reading business publications, a year of searching the web, and the author’s experiences as a successful career woman and mother. Having no footnotes in the text, instead listing them at the back with the page numbers allows for quicker reading, but when I had a question, it was difficult to match the footnotes to the text. This discouraged me from diging deeper. Worse, I felt some of the summaries were exaggerated for effect.
For instance, in Chapter 5, pages 113-114: looking at someone’s breasts is not abuse. It can be disrespectful, unprofessional, creepy, or sophomoric. It’s wrong if you’re her boss, maybe an “abuse of power,” but it’s not sexual abuse. I feel like I’m nitpicking; it’s only one word. But it undermined my trust and made me question every other summary in the book. Some other summaries felt stretched thin, but that was the only one that hit the breaking point for me.
There is a lot of good in here. Stories and descriptions of the barriers women actually face. Resistance against tearing down those barriers. A few steps for overcoming that resistance (like parental leave and blind auditions). Examples of everyone – including men - succeeding when women are included. The few, brief transgender perspectives were especially illuminating. There was even some good summaries of scientific studies (just not as much as I had hoped for, and sometimes hard to trust).
Later chapters switched into more personal storytelling and I found them much easier reading. The stories of balancing a career with parenting were engaging. The author’s visit to Iceland - “The best place in the world to be a woman” - was fascinating and particularly well written.
I’d like to see an entire book written about what white men have to gain from women and minorities competing fairly with them. "That's What She Said" had a few good examples, which I appreciated.
Conclusion:
It will be interesting to see how much I refer to this book over time.
If you’re at all aware of women in the workforce, the amount of groundbreaking, actionable information fits in the 4 page “cheat sheet” at the end. I wish I’d read that at the beginning! That may sound scathing, but it would probably be true of any current book written on women in the workplace.
The sad truth is that we don’t know much about gender and work, and we’re learning very slowly. We need more, better, and more creative research. As a society, we’re at a point where we generally understand the problem, but lack proven solutions. I think we need more people to share their experiences, and we all need to be willing to listen with open hearts and minds.
June 3, 2021
This is a 2018 book by Joanne Lipman, who is a journalist/editor with experience at a number of large publications. The book addresses issues of gender in the workplace and the broader economy, including issues such as equal pay, work life-family balance, sexual harassment and other issues about realizing the promise of women entering the professional workplace on equal terms with men. The book fits into a broader category of books on diversity training that have taken on such importance recently as a result of the Black Lives Matter movement, the growing prominence of Critical Race Theory/Research, and the broader impact of COVID-19 on the world economy.
The premise of the book is that more traditional approaches to gender related sensitivity training are wrong and misguided due to an excessive focus on treating men as the conscious enemies to women in the work place and a presumption that focusing on a simplistic interpretation of the normative and ethical issues involved in how women are treated will lead to the best training results. Lip man takes issue with this arguing that this emphasis is unreasonable and also ineffective because it alienates the large numbers of men who are supportive of working with women on these issues but concerned about being made the villains rather than potential partners for improvements.
Gender problems in the workplace, while not immune from bad behaviors, are also strongly influenced by systemic prejudices, longstanding and poorly understood norms, decades of socialization, and other factors. Lipman’s point is that its complicated and there are lots of men and women who want very much to improve the situation. Doing so will not just be more normatively justifiable and ethically sound but will also lead to greater involvement of capable people in work, more effective jobs, groups, and organizations, and ultimately a more productive society. Failing to recognize will lead to the perpetuation of gender issues and to ineffective but costly training and organizational change efforts.
This is a well written and thoughtful book that covers a good range of important issues. Lipman is translating a large amount of information into an engaging, clear, and consistent story that should ring true with thoughtful people considering these issues in professional life in 21st century America.
These sorts of trade books are frequently missable, especially when they are assigned reading in some required diversity class. This book is an exception and well worth reading even when one is not required to attend a training program.
The premise of the book is that more traditional approaches to gender related sensitivity training are wrong and misguided due to an excessive focus on treating men as the conscious enemies to women in the work place and a presumption that focusing on a simplistic interpretation of the normative and ethical issues involved in how women are treated will lead to the best training results. Lip man takes issue with this arguing that this emphasis is unreasonable and also ineffective because it alienates the large numbers of men who are supportive of working with women on these issues but concerned about being made the villains rather than potential partners for improvements.
Gender problems in the workplace, while not immune from bad behaviors, are also strongly influenced by systemic prejudices, longstanding and poorly understood norms, decades of socialization, and other factors. Lipman’s point is that its complicated and there are lots of men and women who want very much to improve the situation. Doing so will not just be more normatively justifiable and ethically sound but will also lead to greater involvement of capable people in work, more effective jobs, groups, and organizations, and ultimately a more productive society. Failing to recognize will lead to the perpetuation of gender issues and to ineffective but costly training and organizational change efforts.
This is a well written and thoughtful book that covers a good range of important issues. Lipman is translating a large amount of information into an engaging, clear, and consistent story that should ring true with thoughtful people considering these issues in professional life in 21st century America.
These sorts of trade books are frequently missable, especially when they are assigned reading in some required diversity class. This book is an exception and well worth reading even when one is not required to attend a training program.
August 20, 2024
Right up there with the eye-opening book Invisible Women, this book should be required reading for all business executives. This is not just another man-hating diatribe but a call for everyone to rally together and make sure women are not only heard but also justly credited for their ideas and contributions. In this book, Lipman presents several ideas on how men can move on from the hopelessness/guilt/blame often placed on men and actually help women by not interrupting--then allying with their coworkers to reinforce the good women that bring to their fields with phrases like, "That's what she said."
Lipmam addresses just a few of the challenges faced by women in business, women in traditionally male-dominated careers like coding, women who choose to work and have a family, and women who are capable of re-entering the workplace after raising a family. She does a nice job of arguing with Sandberg's Lean In, pointing out that the mentorship craze unfairly saddles the few women in leadership positions with the expectation that they are responsible for mentoring all women at their respective company. Mentoring should happen across genders, not become another gendered hurdle. Lipman also calls out gender bias that women often hold against other women, showing that all of us struggle with bias in some form and even women can be advocates for other women once they recognize that bias.
Keep in mind that this is the work of a journalist, so at times statistics and stories sound sensational or near click-bait fodder. But overall I appreciate the honest look at what often happens to women after college when they enter the reality of stodgy workplace cogs. If you care at all about the fair treatment of women, become an ally and start reading!
Lipmam addresses just a few of the challenges faced by women in business, women in traditionally male-dominated careers like coding, women who choose to work and have a family, and women who are capable of re-entering the workplace after raising a family. She does a nice job of arguing with Sandberg's Lean In, pointing out that the mentorship craze unfairly saddles the few women in leadership positions with the expectation that they are responsible for mentoring all women at their respective company. Mentoring should happen across genders, not become another gendered hurdle. Lipman also calls out gender bias that women often hold against other women, showing that all of us struggle with bias in some form and even women can be advocates for other women once they recognize that bias.
Keep in mind that this is the work of a journalist, so at times statistics and stories sound sensational or near click-bait fodder. But overall I appreciate the honest look at what often happens to women after college when they enter the reality of stodgy workplace cogs. If you care at all about the fair treatment of women, become an ally and start reading!
June 4, 2020
I like this book and so much way better than feminist book I've read before. First start reading to the title will suit on what Joanne fingered on. Between men and women could be more easier if they communicate well. From the very first page Lipman said that women have a difficult time talking about their own achievements and are viewed unfavorably when they do, it is called 'humility trap'. So the solutions she recommend based on her experience is congratulate to each achievements, focusing on men colleagues. Until at the end of the chapter will talking not too far from this, which made me charge on excitement from the beginning of chapter (PS. I liked the way Lipman gives us reality perspective) and always ended boringness. Well, I guess Lipman will not wrong, it just as me, and thank you for giving the a reader like me Chat Sheet: tips and Takeaways for Men-and Women which contains summary.
April 7, 2024
I started this book for my company’s DEI book club for women’s history month, and am super excited for the upcoming dialogue.
I’ll admit, the first chapter is a wash. By the third chapter, I was beginning to doubt if this was the right book pick for the group. I have read “Blind Spots” before and was worried this was just going to be a summary of someone else’s book.
However, chapter 4 on was incredibly insightful (why HR mandated diversity trainings don’t work). And I particularly loved chapter 6 (women not asking for raises) and chapter 8 (women who return to the workforce after having kids). Even though this book is a little dated (2018), I strongly believe that the content itself is still relevant in the workplace today, with the caveat that I have seen progress and am more optimistic than I was 6 years ago.
Highly recommend for men and women. I realized some things in myself that I don’t think I could have pinpointed otherwise.
Additional bonus- it’s a very easy read.
I’ll admit, the first chapter is a wash. By the third chapter, I was beginning to doubt if this was the right book pick for the group. I have read “Blind Spots” before and was worried this was just going to be a summary of someone else’s book.
However, chapter 4 on was incredibly insightful (why HR mandated diversity trainings don’t work). And I particularly loved chapter 6 (women not asking for raises) and chapter 8 (women who return to the workforce after having kids). Even though this book is a little dated (2018), I strongly believe that the content itself is still relevant in the workplace today, with the caveat that I have seen progress and am more optimistic than I was 6 years ago.
Highly recommend for men and women. I realized some things in myself that I don’t think I could have pinpointed otherwise.
Additional bonus- it’s a very easy read.
February 27, 2020
This book is definitely written more for men than for women so the first few chapters, I felt like I was not the audience for the book. There's a lot of information in here that I had run across in other places but I did like the way the information was presented. The personal stories used to illustrate the various points were apt. I think the best part of this book is the 4-page cheat sheet in the back that provides concrete strategies for moving the needle on gender equality in the workplace. Every person who works with others (i.e. everyone) should have this printed out as a reference in their workplace.
July 22, 2018
Probably everyone should read this book. In the beginning I wasn't sold but I came around. It features really interesting research and also anecdotes. I didn't know about so many things I'd have thought I'd have heard of, for ex, Iceland post financial crisis. Wow Iceland! It was interesting to read about problems, agree with potential solutions, then read about what actually ended up happening when those solutions were tried. There's common sense abound but still a useful read for people who want to be better advocates, allies, colleagues, bosses....basically anyone.
November 4, 2018
Highly recommend this book! Gender equality isn’t scary, complicated, or out to shame men. We just need to re-think how we look at and treat each other. Joanne Lipman shares lessons learned through interesting anecdotes from all sorts of workplaces and cultures, which makes her message relatable and clear. I urge everyone to read this book, whether you are a fisherman or a financier, regardless of your gender.
Read
November 14, 2019Definitely need to read this book again and to read it in hardcopy. What I will say though is that what I appreciated most about this book was it was what the subtitle claims to be. Rather than an insider conversation amongst women, it's an accessible book for men to look at women's issues. Lipman doesn't try to cast blame or make men seem like the enemy. She tells the truth, mentions what's complicated about some of the efforts to circumvent bias, but also offers solutions so that we (men) don't feel entirely helpless.
Glad I gave it a listen.
Glad I gave it a listen.
September 10, 2020
This is a must read for woman who can’t understand why they get overlooked in the work place. It’s a must read for men who wonder why woman aren’t doing better in a male dominated work place. Lots of learning still needs to be done. Lipman intersperses personal stories, vignettes and good psychological reasons for the differences in how to lead women and ways for women to rise up in the workforce.
April 3, 2019
Well this made me equal parts furious and motivated. I was definitely inspired to be a woman boss at work yesterday after finishing reading this book & I did three things in one day I wouldn't otherwise have done. So reading this was probably a success.
June 11, 2021
Well researched but depressing about how far we have not come in gender equality.
February 8, 2023
A lot of convincing stats, but very few suggestions or implementable solutions to the problems.
February 27, 2023
I enjoyed some of the anecdotes and discussions in this book, but in my opinion it gives men too much credit for doing the bare minimum or not even that.
April 3, 2025
This book is a compelling exploration of gender inequality in the workplace. Backed by research and real-world examples, the book provides practical strategies to foster inclusivity. It actively engages men in the conversation, making it a valuable read for anyone seeking to create a fairer work environment. Insightful, well-researched, and solution-focused, I would highly recommend for those committed to closing the gender gap.
4.5/5⭐️
Quotes
Women are judged on their accomplishments. Men are judged on their potential.
Research has shown that women won’t raise their hand for a job unless they feel they are 100% qualified, while men eagerly race their hands if they have 60% of the required qualifications.
The higher a women ranked the less powerful language she used. She would actually down play her authority and seem to work extra hard not to remind others of her power. Just like in real life where powerful women dye their hair blonde to seem less threatening. Powerful women try to diminish their digital personae’s.
4.5/5⭐️
Quotes
Women are judged on their accomplishments. Men are judged on their potential.
Research has shown that women won’t raise their hand for a job unless they feel they are 100% qualified, while men eagerly race their hands if they have 60% of the required qualifications.
The higher a women ranked the less powerful language she used. She would actually down play her authority and seem to work extra hard not to remind others of her power. Just like in real life where powerful women dye their hair blonde to seem less threatening. Powerful women try to diminish their digital personae’s.
November 29, 2019
I feel like this book was trying to do two things: 1) Teach men what they need to know to be a good ally to women - the facts behind sexism and potentially effective strategies behind fighting it if they're willing, 2) Talk to women about effective and ineffective ways to talk to men to get them to be allies. Frankly I think in trying to do both it ended up being kind of confusing and not as effective as it could have been at either.
If you are a woman looking to read this book - be forewarned it will spend a lot of the book depressingly rehashing (for the men supposedly interested in reading it) all the terrible things about our lives and how unfair things are (I mean they really are, but I'm so exhausted about hearing about it without solutions.)
It's worth it to hang in there - or just skip to the end though because there are some compelling pieces of information about what might be helpful for men who are actually interested in helping us in the fight - namely how can they create their own groups to educate themselves and how can they fight implicit bias (and how can we talk about implicit bias) which tends to create less backlash against the type of diversity training that makes things worse.
That being said - since the early part of the book spends so much time talking about how bad things are for women - and it also discusses about how even the mention of this makes a lot of guys just feel threatened and want to stop listening - I don't know how effective the book would truly be at getting men on board.
Some good tidbits in here, but think it would have been better served as two separate books.
If you are a woman looking to read this book - be forewarned it will spend a lot of the book depressingly rehashing (for the men supposedly interested in reading it) all the terrible things about our lives and how unfair things are (I mean they really are, but I'm so exhausted about hearing about it without solutions.)
It's worth it to hang in there - or just skip to the end though because there are some compelling pieces of information about what might be helpful for men who are actually interested in helping us in the fight - namely how can they create their own groups to educate themselves and how can they fight implicit bias (and how can we talk about implicit bias) which tends to create less backlash against the type of diversity training that makes things worse.
That being said - since the early part of the book spends so much time talking about how bad things are for women - and it also discusses about how even the mention of this makes a lot of guys just feel threatened and want to stop listening - I don't know how effective the book would truly be at getting men on board.
Some good tidbits in here, but think it would have been better served as two separate books.
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