Monday, July 25, 2005

BlogHer: Women Don't Ask

I'll be speaking on Saturday at BlogHer about this: "Play by today's rules--or change the game?"

There is a book I'll be referring to in our discussion at BlogHer which is a very fascinating read. It's called Women Don't Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever. I think it should be required reading in every MBA program and every B.A. in business program for men and women.

It's about how women don't ask for what they need, want, deserve through no fault of their own necessarily -- and don't get what they need through no fault of men. I'm not big on blaming others (or men) for women's lack of visibility, power, clout, success. I'll be writing about this book this week, but feel free to get it from the library or buy it.

It will be as interesting a read for men as women. It should have the effect of making women much more assertive when it comes to asking for what they want, and making men much more aware of hearing women asking and helping them get what they need.