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Every chapter had something useful for me, August 24, 2006
Reviewed by Cyndy Zoch for Reader Views (8/06)
For many of us women, the Glass Ceiling - that
barrier that keeps women out of the realm of upper management - doesn't
seem to exist anymore. Whether by choice or by mandate, companies have
increasingly included women in the ranks of upper management. Indeed,
both authors had broken through the ceiling and found themselves at or
near the top of their organizations. However, they soon discovered that
there was another barrier in front of them - one that they had never
heard of and therefore never expected to find - the Glass Wall.
"Glass Walls" argues that even though women are in an upper management
position, they are still not treated equally. Both overtly and covertly,
they are excluded from important meetings and social outings, simply
because they are women. Accepting this as a reality, the authors then
focus on how to identify the players in an organization and how a woman
can survive and thrive in such an environment.
A typical company brings together many types of people and
personalities. Each of these types can play one of many roles, according
to the authors. The top management, called the Patriarchy, "refers to
the exclusive group of men or `Patriarchs' who dominate the
organization, along with the males chosen as their entourage."
Membership in the Patriarchy brings power and prestige to a person -
even being associated with the group entitles you to certain perks. All
other employees fall into one of the following categories - Diamonds,
Seeds, Informers, Corks, and Women. According to the authors, a woman
can be a Diamond, Seed or Informer - they can never be Corks or part of
the Patriarchy.
The remainder of the book describes each of these types - their roles
and motives - and helps women learn how to deal with them effectively.
The authors include experiences from real women to illustrate and
emphasize the different types. I was amazed to realize that my
experiences with my former employer could very easily have been used as
an example for this book.
As Vice President of a small company, I was subject to many of the same
circumstances as the women in the book. Until I read "Glass Walls," I
had no idea that these same dynamics are found in most companies. As I
was reading the descriptions of the various types of employees, I found
it easy to identify the Corks, Informers and Seeds among my former
co-workers. Unfortunately, there were very few Diamonds at this place.
When they left the company, there was no reason for me to stay anymore.
I wished that I had read this book at the time. While I don't think the
outcome would have been any different, it would have helped me
understand why things were happening and why certain people responded
and acted the way that they did.
Needless to say, I enjoyed this book immensely. I have read many
business books over the years, but never have I found a single book that
had so much truth in it. I found that every chapter had something useful
for me. That the authors were able to depart such truth in such a short
book (only 121 pages), is truly unique. I would recommend this book to
any woman. For those women already in upper management, it will help you
recognize and understand the processes at work, allowing you to deal
with the issues clearly. For those women hoping to some day become
managers, this book will help you learn how to recognize the different
players in an organization and how to associate with them in a positive
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