Helping Women Play the Business Game
The Brian Lehrer Show | Feb 3, 2015
Professional women have heard it all: lean in, lean out, be bossy, play nice. But Susan Packard, co-founder of Scripps Networks Interactive and former chief operating office of HGTV, says it comes down to gamesmanship - applying the gamer mentality to the workplace.
Packard outlines strategies for female professionals in her book, New Rules of the Game: 10 Strategies for Women in the Workplace (Prentice Hall Press, 2015).
We've got the first five strategies here:
- Conditioning. As an executive, you can go from good to great by learning the language and skills of your work environment.
- Play it cool. Recognize the importance of composure, and make an effort to appear level-headed in your leadership role.
- Play offense. It’s okay to be a little bossy – think of it as being “artfully assertive.”
- Master the strategies of brinksmanship. That is, outsmarting your opponent to secure the win by using observational skills, mental agility, and a little bit of theatrics.
- Build your fan club. It’s important to be seen as likable in order to gain the trust and cooperation of your team.
