Volume 9, No. 1 , Spring 2007

BOOK REVIEWS

Book Review

The Girl’s Guide to Being a Boss (Without Being a Bitch): Valuable Lessons, Smart Suggestions, and True Stories for Succeeding as the Chick-in-Charge by Caitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio; © 2006; Morgan Road Books Publisher

Caitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio are two women who described starting their own business in The Girl’s Guide to Starting Your Own Business: Candid Advice, Frank Talk, and True Stories for the Successful Entrepreneur (©2003). In this new work they use their own experiences, research and interactions with other businesswomen leaders to provide useful information for the new, and experienced, woman manager.

This is a well written, incredibly easy read. They use bullet points to provide key points, and intersperse them with personal case reports and interesting interviews with women leaders in business. The authors illustrate each of their key points with cases and then cement the points with the interviews; thus, readers come away with a game plan that encourages them that they can succeed.

The first two chapters outline the definition and basic responsibilities of managers. Though some of this material seemed intuitive, having it spelled out sets up new managers with the tools to build the kind of team that will lead to success. In the succeeding chapters, the authors expand on the basic concepts, such as how to motivate the team.  They use their research, such as women being uncomfortable with delegating work, to write a chapter on just this topic. As they do in most of their chapters, they explain what the issue is, e.g., why managers have problems with delegating. Next, they explain why learning this skill is important, not just for the new manager but also to the individual team member and the company (or institution) as a whole. Finally, they provide clear guidance on how to gain this skill, how to avoid pitfalls, and how to do it “right” so that the manager and team members win.

They are not afraid to tackle difficult questions, such as evaluations and firing. There is even a chapter on “office politics” and how to use office politics instead of seeing it as a dreadful fact of life. Interspersed in the chapters, they also address common mistakes that women make and how to avoid or deal with them. For instance, women are often seen as emotional. They make the case that being a manager is emotional (e.g., firing an employee is an emotional task). But then they shift the perspective and remind the reader that to be a manager is to be in control, and controlling one’s emotions is just another role that good managers must take on.  (For further information on emotions in the workplace, Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence is a good source).

Each chapter can be read as a stand-alone chapter; however, throughout the book, the authors consistently describe a method for being a manager that builds a collegial, collaborative culture. They make it clear that new managers should understand what kind of team they want to build. Then the authors go about showing them how to do it. They also spell out the necessity of having a concrete vision, with short and long term goals and a plan for how to reach those goals.  The plan and goals should be integrated with the mission of the department and the company. This higher-level function of manager sets the stage for the next steps in her evolution, i.e., from manager to leader.

All in all, this is the best guide I have read on the subject of how to be a good manager. The book clearly outlines how to be a good manager, what the pitfalls are, and how to take the next steps to leadership. I recommend this book for new managers, as an excellent guide to starting out on the right foot, and to experienced managers in mentoring both junior faculty and “junior” managers. I believe that the advice provided is not only good for women, but also for men.  As a matter of fact, my husband is going to read it next. I’ve challenged him to read it at work. I wonder what kind of response he will get?

Alice Speer, MD
Consultant in faculty development
Adjunct Professor of Medicine
University of Texas-Galveston
ELAM Class of 1997-98

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