For women in power, aggressive business tactics are often labeled "pushy," and a hard-driving style is frequently dismissed as "bitchiness." If these degrading assumptions sound familiar, it's because they are common products of the communication gap that exists between men and women in the workplace. Using real-life examples, this practical guide explains, situation by situation, how to close that gap.
As you may already know if you're visiting this page from Huffington Post or one of my blogs (comebacksatwork.com) or bardscove, I'm a professor of management and organization at the University of Southern California where I also spent over fifteen years on the faculty of preventive medicine.
My work began with a focus on persuasion. PERSUASION IN PRACTICE, my first book (revised edition), is a thorough overview of persuasion research and theory. It was described by Public Opinion Quarterly as "a landmark contribution to the field."
My first trade book, THEY DON'T GET IT, DO THEY?, focused on the similarities and differences in male and female communication and how those affect working together. It followed a "Harvard Business Review" reprint bestseller, "The Memo Every Woman Keeps in Her Desk." I appeared on Good Morning American and in a segment done for NBC Nightly News and later The Today Show.
Then came THE SECRET HANDSHAKE, which was an amazon business and nonfiction bestseller for some time. It still sells well because it's an inside look at the politics of business that each of who works deals with on a daily basis. Four types of political arenas are described from mildly political to pathologically political. And, styles that suit each type from the Purist to the Maneuverer are introduced. There's much to learn here about the shadow side of business and what you can do to thrive no matter the level of politics where you work.
IT'S ALL POLITICS followed and took a somewhat more advanced look at what was introduced in THE SECRET HANDSHAKE. It is also very hands-on so you can start experimenting right away with the strategies provided. One of the best aspects is a collection of scenarios not uncommon at work that you can immediately begin to connect with your own. And, then try out the suggested ways of dealing with them.
THE SKILLED NEGOTIATOR, academic and trade versions, include what I've shared with my negotiation students and senior executives I've coached. The trade version didn't get much attention due to focus on the academic one, but I love this book. As the amazon top reviewer wrote, it is very special and anyone who negotiates will enjoy it.
My latest book, with Christopher Noblet, is COMEBACKS AT WORK: USING CONVERSATION TO MASTER CONFRONTATION. I'd wanted to write this book for some time because when I consulted, coached and taught in the international MBA and Executive MBA programs at USC, I'd regularly meet very talented people who just couldn't respond effectively on their feet. And that hurt them at work. This book provides what seems like the secret of those who are good at responding in awkward, challenging, embarrassing, and offensive situations. And, it provides a host of comebacks to learn and practice using at work and elsewhere. These range from mild to what we call "wish you were never born" comebacks.
