Breaking Through Bias: Communication Techniques for Women to Succeed at Work - Hardcover

 Andrea S. Kramer ("Andie") and Alton B. Harris ("Al") are married and former law partners. They are accomplished experts in their respective fields of law and are adjunct professors at Northwestern University School of Law. Andie and Al have both served in senior management positions and have in-depth experience with all aspects of personnel management including recruiting, hiring and firing, individual and team supervision, compensation, and promotion. For more than 30 years they have worked to promote gender equality in the workplace, mentoring literally thousands of women, and serving as sounding boards for each other's ideas. They have jointly written more than 30 professional and gender related articles and book chapters, collaborated in presenting many workshops, and spoken together to a variety of business groups. Andie and Al live in Chicago. They have a daughter in medical school, three rescue dogs, and four rescue cats.

 

According to spouses Kramer and Harris, Women don’t need to be fixed,’ but society does, and quickly. The authors proceed to identify a serious advancement problem for women, who make up 45% of entry-level professionals but only 17% of C-suite executives. They blame this gap on the pervasiveness of gender stereotypes, which lead to a kind of benevolent sexism’ that’s as damaging as it is unintentional. Kramer and Harris acknowledge that systemic change is important, but it takes time, which leaves current would-be executives in the dust. The authors discuss managing perceptions, being aware of body language, crafting communications, and using anger to its best effect a well-organized, well-thought-out call to action ” - Publishers Weekly

Breaking Through Bias teaches women strategies they can use to counteract the negative effect of gender biases, while showing men what actions they can take to help advance their women colleagues. This book deserves widespread attention!” - Hon. Jessica A. O'Brien, president, Women's Bar Association of Illinois

Women are more qualified, educated, and prepared for leadership roles in every field business, law, politics, and technology than ever before. Yet, well into the 21st century, we still encounter the old barriers of prejudice and gender bias. Breaking Through Bias provides women with hugely impactful tools that can be put to use right now to confront gender issues and, yes, partner with enlightened men to promote our advancement.” - Jan Schakowsky, congresswoman, 9th District of Illinois

Change cannot come fast enough in the pursuit of gender equality in the workplace. In Breaking Through Bias, Andie and Al provide strategies that allow women and men to create their own change by teaching us to communicate in a way that overcomes biases and stereotypes. This information is invaluable for all professionals looking to accelerate within inclusive workplaces around the globe.” - Deborah Gillis, president & CEO, Catalyst

It is exciting to see the ideas that Andie has been using for so long to personally mentor women now being made available on a broad scale in this terrific book. A great read for any woman who wants to take control of her career and be seen as the smart, capable woman she is.” - Julie Howard, chairman & CEO at Navigant Consulting, Inc.

Andie and Al tackle the all-important subject of gender-correlated communication styles in the workplace from a fresh perspective. Combining their own real-life experiences (as a woman and as a man) with solid research, Breaking Through Bias is a highly readable book. Offering both practical advice for women and essential knowledge to the men who want to support them, this is a book to read and to share with others.” - Carol Frohlinger, president, Negotiating Women, Inc.

Barriers to gender equality persist. This groundbreaking book encourages talented women to persevere on the road to achieving the success they seek. This book should be mandatory reading for women both at the onset of their careers and on the path to the top of their profession.” - Laurel G. Bellows, managing principal, The Bellows Law Group, P.C. and past president, American Bar Association

Andie and Al have written an exceptional book and an important one. It reflects decades of experience in thinking about how to overcome gender bias, and is chock-full of practical and accessible strategies for surmounting the challenges that women and men face. It should be read and studied by anyone seeking to win in the worldwide battle for talent.” - Jeffrey E. Stone, chairman, McDermott Will & Emery LLP

Andie has worked tirelessly on the advancement of women in workplaces for so many years, and the wisdom and insights from that work are elegantly captured in this book! Breaking Through Bias is a great resource for women navigating the realities of workplace gender bias and the men who want to make their workplaces work better for everyone! Andie and Al’s advice is practical without asking women to be something other than who they are, which is why it will also be effective for those who utilize it.” - Dr. Arin Reeves, author of One Size Never Fits All: Business Development Strategies for Women (And Most Men) and The Next IQ: The Next Generation of Intelligence for 21st Century Leaders

Breaking Through Bias serves as a wake-up call for senior business leaders. The book explores common gender stereotypes and discusses the discriminatory bias that results. Based on my own work on culture change over the past five years, I am convinced that bias in the workplace is real. Things aren’t equal. I can’t allow myself to be satisfied with an environment where female employees have to expend energy combatting bias, so culture change is necessary but it is slow work. This book offers insights and practical approaches to help women manage the environment as it exists. It is essential reading for modern businesspeople of either gender.” - Lee Richard Tschanz, vice president North America, Sales, Services, and Solutions, Rockwell Automation

The medical profession is no more free of gender bias than all other professions that make up our economy. From the early stages of training to achieving the attending physician status, bias exists at every level. Thus, I am enthusiastically recommending that women medical students, residents, and fellow colleagues read and re-read Breaking Through Bias.” - Neelum T. Aggarwal, MD, Chief Diversity Officer of American Medical Women's Association; chair of Mentors, Advisors and Peers Committee, Women in Bio (Chicago); associate professor, Departments of Neurological Sciences and Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center

Andie and Al have created the perfect primer to navigate through the treacherous waters of gender bias. This is not a book you read and donate to your neighborhood library! You’ll want to keep it handy for its many insights and apply them to the countless scenarios that emerge throughout your personal and professional life. This is the book I wish I had more than 35 years ago when I launched my career in public relations.” - Cheryl Procter-Rogers, PR strategist and executive coach, A Step Ahead PR Consulting and Coaching