Book review: Breaking Through Bias is a great how-to manual for women to get ahead
On a recent Sunday afternoon, my husband took a call from work. He’s a nurse manager of a hospital surgical unit, and the call surrounded an issue of hospital policy as it applied in a specific patient situation. I overheard bits of his end of the discussion (read: debate) and was reminded, almost instantly, of why Andrea (Andie) Kramer and her husband Al Harris’ new book is so essential for professional women. I got a chance to read an advanced copy of Breaking Through Bias, which hit bookshelves on May 17, 2016, and am convinced it’s an essential tool for women lawyers and professionals. Here’s why.
During that phone call, my husband didn’t have to think about how he was being perceived as he made his arguments or curb his approach. He didn’t wonder, for example, “Am I coming on too strong in making my point and defending it?” And that’s the bottom line of Breaking Through Bias. Communication in the professional world is largely dominated by rules, cues and mores constructed by men, for men. This book does not teach women how to communicate like men. But it does teach women how to think about, and when necessary, adjust their communication techniques to make it more effective in the status quo.
What started as perhaps Andie’s reaction to the recently well-publicized notion that women cannot, in fact, have it all, has resulted in a full-fledged book with specific methods and tools that women can utilize as they seek to advance their careers in step with male peers. Andie was kind enough to send me pieces of her book as they came to being and ask for my thoughts and comments. I initially questioned the extent to which the biases Andie and Al focused on actually exist, but I now see the effects of these biases around me. Plus, the book is rife with data-driven studies and other empirical evidence to quench the thirst of any healthfully skeptical attorney.
Reading this book in its different stages has left me ample time to contemplate the prevalence of gender-based bias in the workplace, but I am still shocked by some of the data. Take for example the following: “Only 16 percent of Americans believe a mother should work full-time outside of the home.” This is a bias held, clearly, by not only men but by working women, too. Many of us will have to encounter and react to this commonly held belief during the course of our careers. Luckily, there are mechanisms for coping with this and many other gender-based biases in a way that allows women to avoid the detrimental effects on their careers while staying true to themselves.
As lawyers, we are used to counseling. I have been in the position, though, of feeling like I could use some advice myself regarding professional advancement and some of the hurdles I’ve faced early on because I’m a woman. Unlike my dear husband, I have had to curb my approach, so as not to be perceived as coming on too strong in a discussion with opposing counsel. I have had to consider how I was perceived as a new attorney. And along the way, having touchstones from Andie and Al’s book helped me reflect on my own communication style and contemplate how to more effectively approach particular situations.
The communication techniques we utilize as professional women, whether consciously or subconsciously, affect our chances for advancement. Breaking Through Bias has convinced me of that. But there are ways to affect the perceptions others have of us as women in order to advance at our desired pace. There are methods for overcoming workplace biases against women, working mothers and women leaders. In my experience, they’re worth learning and implementing. Step One: read Andie and Al’s book. They’ll take it from there.
Breaking Through Bias is available for sale now through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and local retailers. For information on bulk orders or book customization, contact Jill Friedlander at jill@bibliomotion.com.