Claim OwnershipWomen at Work
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Women face gender discrimination throughout our careers. It doesn't have to derail our ambitions — but how do we prepare to deal with it? There's no workplace orientation session about narrowing the wage gap, standing up to interrupting male colleagues, or taking on many other issues we encounter at work. So HBR staffers Amy Bernstein, Amy Gallo, and Emily Caulfield are untangling some of the knottiest problems. They interview experts on gender, tell stories about their own experiences, and give lots of practical advice to help you succeed in spite of the obstacles.
150 Episodes
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What could you achieve if you asked for what you truly want at work? Amy Gallo and four listeners embraced Alison Fragale’s “nos challenge,” requesting everything from clearer communication and help with a project to leadership opportunities and job title changes. As they pursued 10 rejections each, they noticed surprising patterns in how people respond, overcame fears of rejection, and made progress on personal and professional goals. Their experiences offer practical insights into how to ask assertively and gain status—even when the answer is no.
When you realize the line of work you’ve been in for years doesn’t interest you anymore or is in decline or won’t ever pay well enough, what’s your next move? Amy B speaks with executive coach Nina Bowman about the process of making a bold mid-career leap: how to identify a new path, build connections to land interviews, and tell the story of how you’ll succeed in a completely different role. Then, two listeners who made bold leaps themselves—one from academia to tech, the other from government to consulting—share their experiences and insights.
A past guest recounts how she burned out, quit her job, intended to get a new job after taking a breather, and then didn’t for over a year. That’s because someone in her family kept getting sick or hurt, she had to move twice, and all of the logistical and emotional responsibilities fell to her (because who else was going to take them on?!) Sociologist Jessica Calarco helps her make sense of that exhausting year of unpaid work and the forces that put her and other women in this sort of position.
Do you expect to have more time for yourself and for your career as your kids become teens and young adults? Amy G did. If you too are getting “urgent” texts from your teenager at all hours, feeling judged by other parents about your level of involvement, and trying to figure out how to set the right amount of boundaries, she and Danna Greenberg hear you and have advice.
1There’s something about hearing how other women are making the most of LLMs that can turn even the most GenAI-avoidant among us GenAI-curious. At least that’s what happened to the Amys when they heard from several power users who’ve broadened their thinking, deepened their agency at work, and saved themselves time and stress. Maybe in listening to them you’ll be inspired too.
Worrying is a fact of life; it comes and goes, usually. A clinical psychologist explains how to better manage anxiety at work, whether you have an anxiety disorder, suspect you might, or want to support a colleague who does.
When you’re interacting with people at work, how often do you find yourself deflecting praise, downplaying your accomplishments, or responding “busy!” when someone asks how you’re doing? Why are those such common habits, especially if they so often leave us feeling fake? Alison Fragale, a professor of organizational behavior, offers an alternative: bring genuine strength and friendliness to everyday interactions because that combination gets women the success we deserve.
Political scientist Farida Jalalzai and organizational psychologist Laura Morgan Roberts unpack the symbolic and practical effects of having a woman in a top leadership position. They explore how Kamala Harris’s potential presidency could challenge and shift our notions of leadership and change the way that women understand what’s possible for themselves. They also dive into the realities Harris might face if elected—like juggling high expectations and navigating the complexities of representation.
How are women using GenAI to transform their work? What can we learn from the listeners who identify as “AI power users” about how to boost our productivity, creativity, and confidence? Why is working while parenting a teenager so much harder than Amy Gallo expected, and how can she and other moms navigate this emotionally demanding phase of motherhood? If you’re mid-career and thinking about switching industries, what should you know before making the leap? These questions are at the heart of some of the conversations the Amys are having this season. As always, they’ll bring you expertise, stories, and advice.
How do you know how diverse your company’s workforce is, how equitable its processes are, and how included people feel if nobody is using any metrics? DEI strategist Lily Zheng explains the power of data to track a company’s progress, fix unfairness, and hold people to their promises. They have advice for measuring and improving diversity, equity, and inclusion even when you don’t have a budget or you’re starting from scratch.
Is mid-level management a stone you’re ready to step off of? Making that move is difficult but doable, and Amy B and her three guests will direct, inspire, and reassure you. An executive coach validates the challenges of scoring a position that’s scarce. Then, two COOs whose careers stagnated in mid-level management before accelerating again, recount the conversations, decisions, and networking that jump-started them.
As a mid-level manager, when you spot an opportunity for the business to adopt a new technology, enter a different market, or improve a process, how should you approach the people above you so that they listen to your idea and act on it? Executives have a reputation for dismissing suggestions that aren’t theirs. Amy B and her two guests, Sue Ashford and Ellen Bailey, suggest ways to frame the issue, involve others, and manage emotions so that your idea comes to fruition.
Strategist Andrea Belk Olson spells out how to make the most of the latest corporate master plan that’s now your job to put into action. She suggests important questions to ask yourself before hitting the ground running, ways to handle resistance from team members, what to do when the plan isn’t working well, and points to include in progress updates.
What’s the happy middle between micromanaging and being too hands off? Amy B and three other experienced mid-level managers describe how they think about when to intervene and when not to so that they are empowering their teams and freeing up their own minds to do more of their most strategic work.
Register for a lively four hours with the Amys, their guest experts, and fellow fans of the show. Dorie Clark will talk about working with the ambition you’ve got right now; Ruchi Sinha building teams’ trust in you as a leader and in one another; and Lily Zheng, on where we are now with DEI and where they’d like to see organizations go from here. We’ll end with an advice hour, where Amy B and Amy G answer audience questions about leading a team, dealing with conflict, negotiating, or whatever else comes through the chat.
If you’re in a leadership role, or any role where you are outspoken and visible, chances are that at some point people are going to criticize you, sometimes fiercely, sometimes publicly. Are you ready for that? Two women who’ve felt the heat because of decisions they’ve made or arguments they’ve put forward—or simply because of who they are—reflect on the ways they’ve steeled themselves and dealt with the fallout. Listening to them recount how they responded to fierce criticism will hopefully help you think about how you might respond, both when you see it coming and when you don’t.
We all need to set boundaries, even in the most structured jobs, because work has its way of encroaching on the rest of our life. Ashley, a senior analyst for the federal government, recently shifted to a schedule that helps her do her most important work and have some alone time before her family gets home. Now she’s trying to figure out how to further minimize interruptions, deal with slow and busy stretches, and get out of unproductive meetings.
Amy G and executive coach Melody Wilding talk through adjustments Ashley can make and things she can say to achieve those goals. They also offer strategies for how to communicate your new limits with colleagues and how to hold the line when your boundaries inevitably get tested.
Trust smooths the way for collaboration, conflict resolution, and influencing. But how do you build this asset? And how do you repair it when you’ve missed a series of important deadlines or otherwise messed up? Organizational psychologist Ruchi Sinha talks with a listener who’s struggling to restore skeptics’ confidence in her and her team. Ruchi shares the three elements of trust and how to convey each one. She also offers advice on what to do if you’ve failed to acknowledge a broken promise and how to communicate practically when confidentiality prevents you from being totally transparent.
Executive presence is a mix of gravitas, communication skills, and appearance. But what does that look and sound like in practice? To help a fully remote insurance underwriter think through ways she can act like a leader, we bring in a role model of hers and an expert in strategic communication.
Is there any way to know for sure whether something that someone did—or neglected to do—is rooted in sexism? When is confronting that person worth it? And if you’ll never know what drove their actions, how do you make peace with the uncertainty? Amy G talks through these questions with two professors who study perceptions and gender stereotypes.
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loving this podcast, truly phenomenal and such inspiring podcast 👏
Navigating a career with a disability certainly comes with unique challenges, as highlighted by Meredith Koch and Nicole Bettè. Their experiences shed light on the importance of support and understanding in the workplace. For those looking to connect with others facing similar challenges, joining support groups for developmental disabilities at https://www.gccnyc.org/community-habilitation can provide valuable resources and community support. These groups can help individuals advocate for themselves and learn about available accommodations, fostering a more inclusive and supportive work environment.
I would love to attend an in-person event!
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Great show, esp first half. thanks ladies!
I love HBR podcasts. I have been following "women's at work" for years. I got so much from it. However, the new podcast series Coaching Real Leaders will be a game changer in my personal and professional growth. I suggest to anybody who needs support charting a path. As Muriel said, don't expect a ready-made, off-the-shelf solution. Infact you get a map where your actions will be critical to reach the objective - whatever that could be! Thanks, Muriel. Thanks HBR.
I have a hard time listening to this podcast. I've listened to a couple of episodes and it feels very narrow in it's perspective of women at work. Specifically, it feels like it only implicitly highlights the perspective of white women. As a woman of color, I can say that just speaking up or "leaning in" doesn't always work and I've received disproportionate backlash from it.
I love this Podcast! When can we expect more content?
ALI
Great episode, I work in China with a lot of female attorneys, one came to me today to ask "Could you possibly...?" on a piece of work that had an urgent deadline. I asked her to be more assertive with me when it's important and referred her here 👌 #womensupportingwomen
school districts don't let anyone State their opinion
there is a distinct lack of mentorship in my workplace. I feel like you're filling in the blanks for me! This is very valuable what you've produced here. Thank you!
I was debating with a man and knowingly took my voice up to his level to see what happened. I was accused of yelling. The conversation quickly went sour. When I mentioned that I was just taking my tone of voice up to his same level, the group was amuzed and It gave them something to ponder on.
Just listened to the 1st half of authenticity discussion, it made me wonder if being authentic is somewhat of an earned "benefit". Reflecting on my own career, it seems that I had to demonstrate credibility and integrity in my field/role before my colleagues were able to appreciate/accept my authentic self
Loved this! Am a newbie in the work place, I'm a manager, and this is very helpful.