I love to read different tips for succeeding at work, and the book “New Rules of the Game – 10 Strategies for Women in the Workplace” by Susan Packard (cofounder of HGTV) is no exception. I got this out of the library (as usual)-it wasn’t in the “new” section, but it was published back in 2015, so it’s relatively recent.
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As I read the opening, I was a bit concerned about whether or not I would like this one. It was starting to sound like it might be a bit heavy on the gaming metaphor, with talk about how work is like a game, and we need to play it to succeed. Fortunately, as I got into the content of the book it lightened up on the gaming and got down to good, practical advice. Susan sprinkles stories from her career (which is fascinating) and from other women she’s worked with throughout the book, which keeps it from being a simple list of dry facts.
Susan’s husband is a stay at home dad-just like my husband-which is interesting to me because I don’t see that frequently in real life or online. I know Steve from “My Family On a Budget” is a stay at home dad, and I know one other person at work where that’s the case, but that’s about it. She has a good point that being a stay at home parent may not come naturally to men, but it also doesn’t come naturally to women. Either way, there’s a learning curve involved.
Pay attention to the back – one of the best sections of the book is actually the epilogue, where Susan talks about women supporting other women in building careers. I hope she expands on that concept in another book or online, because it’s so important. Another great section is the “Additional Resources” at the very back, after the bibliography. Susan has pulled together resources with examples of “line” jobs (vs. support jobs), the best companies for working and executive women, resources for building a global career, and resources for improving your speaking and presentation. So if you usually stop reading at the end of the book, be sure to keep going.
So what are the 10 strategies? Here you are:
All in all, I would highly recommend this book for any woman who’s looking to succeed in corporate America. Although you may be like me – not an executive by any stretch of the imagination – these tips will help bring a different perspective to the way you work, and how you present yourself. Even if you don’t want to climb the corporate ladder, you likely still want to be well respected at work and receive the opportunities you deserve. This book can help set you on a good path to get there.
What other tips might you have for women in the workforce? Have you read this book-if so, what did you think? Let me know in the comments.
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