Gender Bias and Communication in the Workplace: 6 GLASS WALLS with Dr. Amy Diehl (ep. 189)
Update: 2025-06-10
1
Description
You’ve heard of the glass ceiling, but what about the glass walls? Dr. Andrea Wojnicki speaks with Dr. Amy Diehl, co-author of Glass Walls, about six subtle yet powerful gender bias barriers still limiting women at work. Learn how these biases show up in communication in the workplace and what individuals and leaders can do to recognize and dismantle them.
CONNECT WITH ANDREA
Website: TalkAboutTalk.com
LinkedIn – Andrea: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreawojnicki/
LinkedIn Talk About Talk: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talkabouttalk/
Newsletter: https://www.talkabouttalk.com/newsletter/
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@talkabouttalkyoutube/
CONNECT WITH DR. AMY DIEHL
Dr. Diehl’s website & speaking engagement enquiries: https://amy-diehl.com
GLASS WALLS book: https://amy-diehl.com/glass-walls-shattering-the-six-gender-bias-barriers-still-holding-women-back-at-work/
Gender Bias Scale for Women Leaders: https://amy-diehl.com/gender-bias-scale/
TRANSCRIPTION
“Female hostility. I always get the question. Sometimes people say that the women in the workplace are worse than the men. I don’t know whether that’s true or not, but I will say that when women don’t support other women, it hurts us more. We expect solidarity from our female colleagues.”
That was Dr. Amy Diehl, co-author of the book Glass Walls: Shattering the Six Gender Bias Barriers Still Holding Women Back at Work. In the next 45 minutes, we’re going beyond the glass ceiling and glass cliffs. You’re going to learn what those six glass walls are, how they manifest at work, and what we can do about them. Especially in the context of communication, we’ll explore the power of labeling these barriers and talking about them.
We all witness these glass walls at work. Whether you’re a woman directly affected, an ally observing them, or a leader with the power to influence change, this episode is for you.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t about complaining. This is about using real research to identify, label, and discuss gender bias.
Welcome to the Talk About Talk podcast. If you’re a returning listener, welcome back. If you’re new, let me introduce myself. I’m Dr. Andrea Wojnicki. Please call me Andrea. I’m an executive communication coach at Talk About Talk. You can learn more about me at talkabouttalk.com. While you’re there, I encourage you to sign up for my email newsletter. Between this podcast and the newsletter, you’ll get valuable communication coaching.
I help leaders improve their communication: presentation skills, executive presence, precision, and personal branding.
All of these skills are hard enough without the additional challenge of gender bias.
Recently I read Glass Walls by Dr. Amy Diehl and Dr. Leanne Dzubinski. From a communication perspective, I saw insights that I knew would resonate with you. So I reached out to Amy, and here we are.
Here’s how these 45 minutes will go: I’ll first introduce Dr. Diehl (Amy) and then we’ll jump into the interview. At the end, I’ll share three key takeaways. Yes, always three; the power of three.
OK, let me introduce Amy.
Amy Diehl, PhD, is an award-winning IT leader and Chief Information Officer at Wilson College in Pennsylvania. She’s also a gender equity researcher and co-author ...
CONNECT WITH ANDREA
Website: TalkAboutTalk.com
LinkedIn – Andrea: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreawojnicki/
LinkedIn Talk About Talk: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talkabouttalk/
Newsletter: https://www.talkabouttalk.com/newsletter/
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@talkabouttalkyoutube/
CONNECT WITH DR. AMY DIEHL
Dr. Diehl’s website & speaking engagement enquiries: https://amy-diehl.com
GLASS WALLS book: https://amy-diehl.com/glass-walls-shattering-the-six-gender-bias-barriers-still-holding-women-back-at-work/
Gender Bias Scale for Women Leaders: https://amy-diehl.com/gender-bias-scale/
TRANSCRIPTION
“Female hostility. I always get the question. Sometimes people say that the women in the workplace are worse than the men. I don’t know whether that’s true or not, but I will say that when women don’t support other women, it hurts us more. We expect solidarity from our female colleagues.”
That was Dr. Amy Diehl, co-author of the book Glass Walls: Shattering the Six Gender Bias Barriers Still Holding Women Back at Work. In the next 45 minutes, we’re going beyond the glass ceiling and glass cliffs. You’re going to learn what those six glass walls are, how they manifest at work, and what we can do about them. Especially in the context of communication, we’ll explore the power of labeling these barriers and talking about them.
We all witness these glass walls at work. Whether you’re a woman directly affected, an ally observing them, or a leader with the power to influence change, this episode is for you.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t about complaining. This is about using real research to identify, label, and discuss gender bias.
Welcome to the Talk About Talk podcast. If you’re a returning listener, welcome back. If you’re new, let me introduce myself. I’m Dr. Andrea Wojnicki. Please call me Andrea. I’m an executive communication coach at Talk About Talk. You can learn more about me at talkabouttalk.com. While you’re there, I encourage you to sign up for my email newsletter. Between this podcast and the newsletter, you’ll get valuable communication coaching.
I help leaders improve their communication: presentation skills, executive presence, precision, and personal branding.
All of these skills are hard enough without the additional challenge of gender bias.
Recently I read Glass Walls by Dr. Amy Diehl and Dr. Leanne Dzubinski. From a communication perspective, I saw insights that I knew would resonate with you. So I reached out to Amy, and here we are.
Here’s how these 45 minutes will go: I’ll first introduce Dr. Diehl (Amy) and then we’ll jump into the interview. At the end, I’ll share three key takeaways. Yes, always three; the power of three.
OK, let me introduce Amy.
Amy Diehl, PhD, is an award-winning IT leader and Chief Information Officer at Wilson College in Pennsylvania. She’s also a gender equity researcher and co-author ...
Comments
In Channel



