How to Get What You Want At Work Book

Like his bestselling Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus and the string of other self-help books which have flowed from John Gray's pen since, How to Get What you Want in the Workplace is based on the simple truism that men and women think and behave differently. Workplace misunderstandings, Gray argues, often stem from gender differences and viewpoints. "Martians" and "Venusians" can work together better once they understand this. Women, for example, want to share work problems with colleagues but are not looking for male quick-fix solutions. Rather, they need to be listened to but too often aren't. "One of the biggest obstacles women face in earning the respect of men is their attitude regarding business transactions in the workplace" writes Gray. "When a woman take things personally and feels hurt, excluded, rejected, unappreciated or offended by typical Martian behaviour, she alienates herself." It's a practical book to be used selectively, its author recommends, like a buffet meal. It ranges across attitudes to, and the definition of, sexual harassment, workplace feelings, and an account of how manners and "sharing" (also known as talking) come from Venus, but rules and grumbling are the province of Mars. Although Gray has laboured this lucrative planetary metaphor through more than 13 titles it remains a useful way of analysing and resolving tensions. It could help anyone wanting to improve workplace relationships. The problem is that sometimes one has a sneaking suspicion that Gray is just an old-fashioned guy putting down women (who don't play competitive sport and who therefore don't understand the rules of combat, as one of Gray's odder arguments runs) with suggestions that male colleagues should buy them flowers and fetch them glasses of water. --Susan ElkinRead More