Kathryn Jacob

Forget the glass ceiling - there's also a glass wall dividing men and women in the workplace, separating them in terms of career success. In this ten-year anniversary edition of the bestselling book, the authors look at what has changed for women in the workplace since 2016. Spoiler alert - not a lot. The Glass Wall is a pragmatic guide to success for women at work. Since the first edition was published, whilst there has been some meaningful progress, in some areas, things have gone into reverse. In this 10th anniversary edition, the authors examine the latest research and gauge whether things have improved or not for women at work since the #MeToo movement and the global pandemic caused seismic change. Every week brings new headlines that cause unease as much as reason to celebrate. Harvey Weinstein’s conviction for rape was overturned in a New York court; from a shortlist of three, PWC partners picked the only male candidate to be their UK leader, with this being the only time that women had been in contention for that role; a 2024 report by the Treasury Committee found that women in the city are still subject to shocking levels of “sexual harassment and bullying”. Meanwhile generative AI is sustaining stereotyped images and exacerbating inequity. In terms of real power, both in government and at work, things haven’t changed enough. Debates about the pros and cons of remote and hybrid working continue to impact women and their careers. More companies offer parental leave to new parents, but most of it is still taken by mothers rather than fathers. The new debate around menopause at work is positive, unless it becomes another stick to keep women down. The Glass Wall, 10th Anniversary Edition helps new groups of women to navigate the workplace, make their lives happier, and empower real change.

A Year of Creativity demystifies what it means to be creative, showing how all of us need to exercise our creativity muscles if we are to meet the challenges of an uncertain world. If you want to win at work, efficiency is not enough, strategy is not enough, and analysis is not enough. We live in times of increasing complexity and ambiguity; even businesses that have themselves been major disruptors fear major new disruption themselves. In response, leaders are battening down the hatches: the more uncertain the world, the more they retreat into stale, established patterns of behaviour.This is a big mistake. The only way to secure competitive advantage is to ensure that creative thinking is driving your organization. It will enable workplace satisfaction, boost performance, and encourage new ideas throughout teams. To tackle our uncertain environment - and to win in the world of future business - we all need to get serious about creativity and the potential it can unleash.The authors of Belonging have now written A Year of Creativity, which will make creativity accessible to everyone. In 52 lessons, it explores how to be creative (either individually or in groups and teams), how to nurture creativity, and how - as a result - to redefine yourself and your career.

"The most important business book of the year" - EsquireThere’s never been more discussion around diversity and inclusion in the workplace. From gender pay gaps and the #MeToo movement to Black Lives Matter, it seems that every organization has finally recognised that lasting change needs to happen.Various studies show that the most successful and productive senior management teams are those which are truly diverse and eclectic. Yet there remains only 8 female CEOs of FTSE 100 boards, and only 10 BAME people working in leadership roles across companies in the FTSE 100. While there has been a clear shift in attitudes, actual progress towards more inclusive workspaces has been excruciatingly slow and, in some cases, has ground to a halt. Following extensive research and interviews at over 200 international businesses, Kathryn Jacob, Sue Unerman and Mark Edwards have discovered one major problem that is holding back the move towards greater diversity: why aren’t the men getting involved?Most men are not engaged with D&I initiatives in the workplace – at one extreme they may be feeling actively hostile and threatened by the changing cultural landscape. But others may be unmotivated to change – recognising the abstract benefits of diversity but not realising what’s in it for them. The time for change is long past. Belonging is the call to action we need today -the tool to turn the men in power into allies as we battle discrimination, harassment, pay gaps, and structural racism and patriarchy at every level of the workplace. The lessons in this book will help us work together to build a better workplace where everyone feels they belong.

Never mind the glass ceiling. In the workplace today there's a glass wall. Men and women can see each other clearly through the divide, but they don't speak the same language or have the same expectations. And as a result, women and their careers are suffering. With more women than ever in the workforce, but still too few in the boardroom, now is the time to address the assumptions and miscommunication holding women back. This book gives women the tools they need to master any situation. Drawing on Unerman and Jacob's own experience in male-dominated businesses, as well as over a hundred interviews with both men and women, The Glass Wall provides clear, smart and easy-to apply strategies for success. From unlocking ambition and developing resilience to nurturing creativity and getting noticed, these are the skills that everyone needs to learn to help break down that wall and create better workplaces for all.