Women at Work

Latest Episodes:

The Essentials: Managing Projects Jan 16, 2023

Show notes

We’re in a project economy, where so much of our work is developing something new — a product, a service, an event. That means that many of us manage projects, even if “project manager” isn’t in our official job title. And we’re typically doing this work alongside others, on a deadline, often with multiple stakeholders involved, while objectives and circumstances continuously change. It’s not easy, and it’s no wonder that people get certified in project management: it’s a discipline that’s surprisingly deep, from planning to close-out.

A former clinical social worker who recently pivoted to project management has already experienced several of the most common challenges, including uncertainty, interpersonal conflict, and lack of responsiveness from the team. She and Amy B talk with an experienced project manager who shares tips for motivating and influencing others, communicating effectively, and solving problems.

Guest expert:

Tamara McLemore is a project manager who is certified by the Project Management Institute to train others in the discipline, and the founder of the Project Business Academy, through which she coaches people on what it takes to pass the Project Management Professional exam.

Resources:

HBR Guide to Project Management, by Harvard Business Review
Managing Projects, by Harvard Business Review
“The Four Phases of Project Management,” by HBR Editors
“Five Critical Roles in Project Management,” by HBR Editors
“The Project Economy Has Arrived,” by Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez
“Does Your Project Have a Purpose?” by Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez
“Is Project Management the Right Career for You?” by Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez and Yasmina Khelifi

Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org

The Essentials: Playing Office Politics Jan 09, 2023

Show notes

Everyone at work has their own priorities, concerns, and agendas, and knowing what those are allows us to navigate projects and meetings more deliberately and successfully. But how do you get the intel you need to achieve the results you want, especially if you’re the odd woman out in a male-dominated company and industry? What exactly does “political capital” mean? And how does one begin to change exclusionary and toxic politics so that they’re inclusive and healthy?

Organizational psychologist Madeleine Wyatt answers those questions and offers advice on how to become more politically savvy, in conversation with a transportation planner who’s determined to find a less tiring, more authentic approach to winning over clients and influencing others.

Guest expert:

Madeleine Wyatt is a professor at King’s Business School. Her research examines diversity at work and the role informal and political processes play in people’s rise into leadership.

Resources:

“Office Politics Don’t Have to Be Toxic,” by Madeleine Wyatt and Elena Doldor
“3 Simple Ways for Women to Rethink Office Politics and Wield More Influence at Work,” by Kathryn Heath
“Navigating Office Politics When There Is No Office,” by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic and Dorie Clark
HBR Guide to Office Politics, by Karen Dillon
“Networking Doesn’t Have to Be a Drag,” by Women at Work

Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org

Season 8 Highlights — and a Host Reunion! Dec 05, 2022

Show notes

Former co-hosts Sarah, Nicole, and Emily reunite with the Amys to discuss the insights and advice that most resonated with them from this season, from how they gained their team’s trust as a first-time manager to how they’re now thinking about retirement. They also talk about their related personal and professional experiences, and share how they’ve been doing since they left the show and HBR.

If you haven’t listened to Season 8 in full, this episode also serves as an overview so you can pick and choose what you want to go back and listen to. The episode ends with each of the hosts sharing what they want to see us covering in future seasons. If you have any ideas, please email us. We’d love to hear from you.

Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org

How to Push for Policy Changes at Your Company Nov 21, 2022

Show notes

When you have an idea for a change that would make your workplace better for women, where do you begin? How can you push for a childcare stipend, a company-wide pay audit, a more comprehensive health care plan, or an ombuds office? If you instigate the change, do you have to be the face of it? What are the other roles you can play?

Two experts in systemic, organizational change explain the behind-the-scenes strategizing, relationship building, and risk management that should happen before approaching the people in charge, who will then need to support, fund, and build out the proposal. And because sustaining a grassroots initiative requires motivating a bunch of volunteers, they also share tried-and-true ways to keep everyone invested in the cause, aligned, and on track.

Guests:

Lily Zheng is a diversity, equity, and inclusion strategist and executive coach. Their latest book is DEI Deconstructed: Your No-Nonsense Guide to Doing the Work and Doing It Right.

Ashley Lewis is the assistant director of the UAW’s women’s department and a national vice president for the Coalition of Labor Union Women.

Resources:

“To Avoid DEI Backlash, Focus on Changing Systems — Not People,” by Lily Zheng
“Dig, Bridge, Collectively Act,” by Tina Opie and Beth A. Livingston
“How Leaders Get in the Way of Organizational Change,” by Ron Carucci
“Cultivating Everyday Courage,” by James R. Detert
“How to Figure Out How Much Influence You Have at Work,” by Maxim Sytch

Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org

Working While Managing Your Child’s Mental Health Nov 14, 2022

Show notes

When your child is struggling—whether it’s with anxiety, anger management, or depression—focusing on anything other than how they’re doing can be difficult to nearly impossible. Yet so many parents are straining day after day to support their children while trying to keep up at work. And so many lack enough flexibility, understanding, and paid time off from their employer to take care of everything they need to do, from finding their children a therapist to taking them to appointments.

What can mothers, managers, and leaders do to make work more manageable? The executive director of the children’s mental health advocacy group On Our Sleeves shares ideas and advice.

Guest:

Marti Bledsoe Post is the executive director of the children’s mental health advocacy group On Our Sleeves and the author of Retrofit: The Playbook for Modern Moms.

Resources:

“Ripple Effect: The Influence of Children’s Mental Health on The Great Resignation,” by On Our Sleeves
“The Great Collide: How Supported Children Enable Successful Companies,” by On Our Sleeves
Bloom: Child Mental Health and the Workplace, from On Our Sleeves
Understanding Depression in Kids, from On Our Sleeves
Anxiety in Kids, from On Our Sleeves
“When Your Employee Discloses a Mental Health Condition,” by Amy Gallo
“The Maternal Wall,” by Joan C. Williams

Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org

When Your Partner Isn’t Giving You the Support You Need Nov 07, 2022

Show notes

Before you got engaged, or had a child, or moved across the country for your partner’s job, did you sit down and ask each other questions like, What makes for a good life? and How much work is too much? Yeah, neither did we. These are the sorts of conversations that researcher Jennifer Petriglieri says lay the foundation for couples, especially working parents, to have a mutually supportive relationship and satisfying, if demanding, careers.

A woman named Rebecca remembers talking with her husband in depth about their values and goals early on in their relationship. It was a conversation that felt abstract at the time…and never happened again. They now have two young kids, and Rebecca is stepping into a new leadership role. She feels like she’s not getting enough practical and emotional support from her spouse, and isn’t sure how to attain it. So, we asked Jennifer to share her expertise and advice.

We give Rebecca (and anyone in a similar situation) a framework for processing the career-family tension she’s feeling, as well as ideas for resolving it.

Guest:

Jennifer Petriglieri is an associate professor of organizational behavior at INSEAD and the author of Couples That Work: How Dual-Career Couples Can Thrive in Love and Work.

Resources:

“How Dual-Career Couples Make It Work,” by Jennifer Petriglieri
“Why Working Couples Need to Talk More About Power,” by Jennifer Petriglieri
“Couples That Work,” by Women at Work
“When We Make All (or Most of) the Money,” by Women at Work
“How to Have a Relationship and a Career,” by HBR IdeaCast

Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org

Respect for Any Body Size Oct 31, 2022

Show notes

Have you ever hesitated to take on a particular role or get up in front of other people because you felt self-conscious about your weight? Or worried that others would see you as unprofessional or “not equipped” for leadership positions? Perhaps you’ve made offhand comments about a colleague’s eating habits?

Weight bias is everywhere, including at work, and yet it’s rarely discussed openly or made part of efforts to create equitable and inclusive workplaces. It should be, especially given what we know about the economic and emotional costs to women who are on the receiving end of this stigma.

Two women who have studied weight bias at work—and the misconceptions that underpin it—help us understand our role in creating a positive body culture.

Guests:

Dr. Habibah Williams is a nurse practitioner at the University of Virginia.

Grace Lemmon is a management professor at DePaul University.

Resources:

“A primer with purpose: Research implications of the objectification of weight in the workplace,” by Grace Lemmon et al.
“Sizably Aware: Teaching Healthcare Staff to Lose Their Weight Bias,” a write-up of Dr. Habibah Williams’ work, by Christine Phelan Kueter
“Unconscious Bias Training That Works,” by Francesca Gino and Katherine Coffman
“How One Company Worked to Root Out Bias from Performance Reviews,” by Joan C. Williams et al.

Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org

Have You Started Thinking About Retirement? Oct 24, 2022

Show notes

Retirement is a major decision that takes planning and reflection. Ideally, you want to make the transition in a way that leaves you feeling happy and engaged, not lonely, lost, or bored. So, let’s talk about the seeds that should be sown before your last day in the workforce.

Two women who very recently retired recount their decision-making process, describe how the transition has been so far, and share lessons from their personal experiences. We then hear from Ann Bundy, who’s an expert on retirement, having written a practical guide on the topic and having recently retired herself. She gives practical advice on how to think about and prepare for this transition no matter where you are in your career.

Guest:

Ann Bundy is the coauthor of Encore: Living Your Life’s Legacy, a recent retiree, and a former executive coach.

Resources:

“What Happens When Your Career Becomes Your Whole Identity,” by Janna Koretz
“Design a Retirement That Excites You,” by Jeff Giesea
“When He Retires and She Still Works, What Happens?” by Karen Firestone
“Does Having Grandchildren Persuade Women to Retire Early?” by Karen Firestone
“How to Become a Coach or Consultant After You Retire,” by Dorie Clark
“What Job Crafting Looks Like,” by Jane E. Dutton and Amy Wrzesniewski

Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org

The Ups and Downs of Being a First-Time Manager Oct 17, 2022

Show notes

Learning to lead other people is a stressful stretch assignment. Much of that stress stems from the misconceptions many people bring into the job. They think they know what the role will entail, and then they start doing the work and realize they don’t know what they’ve gotten themselves into. Gender bias often makes the transition more painful for women since a lot of people, unfortunately, still don’t see us as cut out for leadership, even if they’d never say so to our face.

Three women who’ve recently moved into management speak candidly about being newly in charge of other people: the surprises, the rewards, and recent challenges. If you’re a new manager yourself, we hope you’ll find comfort in knowing that you’re not alone in any struggles you might be facing— and that you’ll get some ideas for how to deal. And if you’re just curious about becoming a boss, we hope that you’ll come away more prepared for the job and confident that you can do it too.

Resources:

“Becoming the Boss,” by Linda A. Hill
“Research: Becoming a Manager Doesn’t Always Feel Like a Step Up,” by Nishani Bourmault and Michel Anteby
“Research: Becoming a Manager Increases Men’s Job Satisfaction, But Not Women’s,” by Daniela Lup
“Women Rising: The Unseen Barriers,” by Herminia Ibarra et al.
Harvard Business Review Manager’s Handbook: The 17 Skills Leaders Need to Stand Out

Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org

Getting Along (Live in Boston) Oct 10, 2022

Show notes

To cap off our Getting Along series (see the last four episodes in our feed if you missed them), Amy Gallo offers advice, in front of a live audience, on how to deal with “difficult” colleagues. She talks with Amy Bernstein about the different types of difficult coworkers (from the tormentor to the know-it-all) and then answers questions from several members of the audience about the specific situations they’re facing. If you’re navigating a tough work relationship right now and don’t know how to turn things around, this episode is for you.

Resources:

Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People), by Amy Gallo
“What to Do if You Think Your Boss Is Shutting You Out,” by Liz Kislik
“How to Deal with a Passive-Aggressive Colleague,” by Amy Gallo
“How the Best Bosses Interrupt Bias on Their Teams,” by Joan C. Williams and Sky Mihaylo
“How to Deal with the Know-It-All in Your Office,” by Priscilla Claman

Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org

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