In the company of women : turning workplace conflict into powerful alliances

Abstract

Includes bibliographical references (pages 326-332)

pt. 1. Conflict : why women behave the way they do. The golden triangle : relationships, power, and self-esteem -- The power dead-even rule -- From the xx files : the origins of woman-to-woman conflict -- Lessons from childhood -- The bitch factor : indirect aggression -- pt. 2. Colleagues : finding powerful allies and friends among women in the workplace -- The goal is the relationship -- Loosening power dead-even double binds -- How to have healthy conflict with another woman -- Handling conflict with style -- How to be an effective female leader -- Building a dream team -- A final word -- Appendix A. Books on self-esteen -- Appendix B. Conflict Styles Questionnaire answer key

"If you have had feelings like those voiced above about your female colleagues, you are hardly alone. As Pat Heim and Susan Murphy have learned through twenty years of corporate consulting on gender differences, time and again professional women fail to support one another, and they even actively sabotage their female colleagues. While men will generally use direct action to attain a goal, women have been socialized to use indirect aggression to emotionally cripple those who are standing in their way. Even if the outcome is that no one gets what she wants!" "The fact is, relationships can be either the best or the worst thing to happen to women at work. Studies show that women have a greater capacity than men to support and improve one another's professional performance -- with better results for all if their interaction is good, and worse results if it is not." "Presenting ground-breaking insights into the meaning of everyday behavior, In the Company of Women draws from the latest research on brain structure, evolution, and socialization to explain the unique challenges and positive opportunities that arise when women work with women." "A decade ago, in a male-dominated workplace, our primary concerns included surmounting communication differences between the sexes. By the year 2003, however, experts predict that women will own approximately fifty percent of American businesses. For the sake of our professional well-being, it has become imperative that we understand how women act differently among themselves when they are friends or enemies -- and use that information to reach new levels of excellence. Book jacket."--Jacket