In Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office, Lois P. Frankel addresses various mistakes that female professionals make in the workplace that hinder them from excelling in their careers. She goes ahead and expounds on the various ways in which they can improve. This paper discusses the principles given by Frankel to enable women to achieve their very best in their workplaces. Frankel believes that most women have been brought up in a way that limits their potential. She says that society has oriented the female mind in such a way that they have to follow specific rules for them to succeed, such as being compliant, polite, and relationship-oriented. However, she opposes these stereotypes and argues that women do not always have to act like women. She tells women to quit being girls and explore their potential.
Among the issues addressed in her article are the way women think, their actions, the way they respond to issues, and how they brand and market themselves. First, she says that women should stop being naïve. Women are always afraid of getting more information on what they are told. They are always afraid of embarrassing other people and, therefore, choose to see only their positive side. This is something that can hinder one from developing essential skills in one’s career. Women should cultivate the habit of seeking for more information in whatever they are told. They should also be courageous enough to deny whatever they think is not correct about someone’s opinion. In this way, they will be able to handle their businesses in a better and informed way.
Secondly, women should visualize themselves as what they want to be. They can do this by identifying their hobbies, interests, and passions. They should not let someone choose what to do for them; instead, they should follow their intuition. The stereotype of what women can do and what they cannot do should be eliminated from their thoughts. They should let their minds be open and do even that which society thinks cannot be done by a female individual. This is the reason why the very few women who have gone against the current are the ones who have ventured into the business arena and career fields while others remain stagnated.
Also, Frankel advises women to work smart rather than working hard. Most females have developed the habit of working non-stop without stopping to analyze whether whatever they are working on is of value or not. Frankel advises them to organize their plans diligently and execute them without much haste as they keep track of the progress. Working smart will prove much more productive than working hard.
Another aspect in which women need to change for them to succeed is being independent in decision-making. However much one may need to know other people’s opinions before doing something, one needs to learn independence in coming up with ideas and implementing them without necessarily having to consult with other people. Frankel believes that this is one way that can empower women in their careers. This is because it will help them open up their minds to creativity and innovation in their respective fields of specialization.
Females should also avoid portraying themselves in a negative light in times of mistakes. When mistakes happen, they should give an honest, factual report without blaming themselves for the mistakes. Blaming oneself erodes the confidence of other people to trust you with important tasks and, therefore, can make one miss grand opportunities that could have enabled them to climb a notch higher in their career. Women ought to understand that mistakes sometimes happen, and they should never magnify the guilt and heap it on themselves.
Women should also learn to delegate duties whenever a project has been assigned to them to enable them to be successful in that particular project. Taking all the responsibilities upon oneself can drain your energies, and the project may fail to be perfectly done. Delegating duties enables one to keep track of the progress, identify the risks, and give the required advice on how the work should be done. A project manager’s work should be supervising and not doing all the work alone. This is a point in which most women get mistaken. If they master proper management of projects and delegation of duties, they will be able to excel in their duties and create a healthy competitive environment with their male counterparts.
The skill of balancing between work and personal life, if well mastered, will enable females to succeed in their careers. The act of most women putting their careers ahead of social life should be eliminated as it drains them. Having friends and family around and spending quality time together enables one to be positive and more productive in their work. It gives motivation and happiness and therefore enables one to excel even in their professional life.
Women should learn to take up high-profile assignments and never let them pass by them. These assignments will enable them to upgrade their knowledge and skills in their field of work. They should not shrink away from being recommended for greater work. Instead of waiting to be noticed, Frankel says that women should showcase their capabilities rather than thinking that they will intimidate men. They should avoid giving away their ideas cheaply, start implementing them, and let people know that they have initiated the ideas. This will help in branding and marketing themselves and enable them to have opportunities to serve in higher positions.
Frankel also addresses an important aspect that promotes success in a woman: personal appearance. This entails a woman’s way of dressing and deportment. Women should always dress modestly, professionally, neatly, and simply. They should avoid jewelry and make-up, which will enable the professional world to have a serious and respectful outlook on them. They should learn proper communication skills, such as keeping eye contact and letting their gestures correspond with their message. The success of women in their careers largely depends on how they portray themselves through their dress and mannerisms.
These are just but a few of the various ways to success that Frankel has expounded on in her book. She calls out women to stop being intimidated by being nice to everyone and handle issues from a realistic angle. Her advice is quite good and, if well implemented, will enable women to rise to higher ranks than their male counterparts. However, as women apply these principles, they ought to consider the moral values of society, which give males the lead. The respect due to males should be accorded, and a healthy correlation should be built with them to enable both genders to get along well with each other.
Works Cited
Frankel, Lois P. “Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office: Mistakes and Coaching Tips.” Remix: Reading & Composing Culture 3rd ed., edited by Catherine G. Latterell.
Bedford/St.Martin’s, 2017, pp 247-250
