#YouCan (eBook)

Women's Guide to Navigating Toxic Workplaces

Ela Karahasanoglu (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2023 | 1. Auflage
190 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
9798350910179 (ISBN)

Infos

Are you tired of being told to learn how to work with 'difficult people' or 'reduce your stress'? Do you feel stuck in a toxic workplace that drains your energy and smothers your career ambitions? Ready to take control of your career and unleash your full potential? #YouCan! In '#YouCan,' a female CEO who's been there and seen it all imparts effective strategies to avoid, navigate, and escape toxic workplaces. Packed with practical advice and real-life examples, the book encourages women to embrace their full potential and break free from oppressive work environments. So whether you're dealing with a difficult boss, toxic colleagues, or just a plain old bad work environment, grab your copy, buckle up, and join millions like you to show the world what a woman with a #YouCan attitude is capable of achieving!

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"e;#YouCan"e; offers a very different and refreshing perspective for women compared to mainstream advice that suggests women should learn how to "e;work with difficult people"e; or "e;reduce their stress"e;. It is a compelling and comprehensive guide that empowers women to liberate themselves from draining and toxic workplaces, spearheaded by a seasoned female leader, Ela Karahasanoglu. Crafted for professionals at all stages-from newcomers to seasoned pros-this book is an essential companion for anyone seeking to seize control of their career and unleash their full potential. This research-based guide, brimming with actionable advice, real-life scenarios, and effective strategies, provides the blueprint you need to confidently steer clear of, navigate and exit damaging workplaces. Drawing from her extensive leadership experience and expertise in Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI), Karahasanoglu debunks popular myths about women in the workplace with empirical data and encourages women to carve not only a fulfilling but also a toxicity-free career path. Whether you're wrestling with a challenging boss, toxic colleagues, or a generally unhealthy work atmosphere, "e;#YouCan"e; is your go-to guide. So, grab your copy, strap in, and join millions of women demonstrating what a woman with a #YouCan attitude is capable of achieving in the workplace!

Textauszug

CHAPTER 1:
BACKGROUND

“Tremendous amounts of talent are being lost to our society just because that talent wears a skirt.”
– Shirley Chisholm

How Was This Book Born?

Many have asked why I wrote this book. For a very simple reason: for my younger self. If there were such a book back in the day, I would have tremendously benefitted from it. I would refer to it when making major life and career decisions, but not because I would have a clear vision into my own future. It would be because I would have a much more robust decision-making framework and a reliable network of friends and peers around me to help me make these difficult choices. Like many others, I landed in the right direction, but lost precious time, opportunity and energy. More importantly, I didn’t get a chance to apply my full potential. All of this could have been easily prevented by some of the wisdom in this book, which would explain the not-so-pretty parts of life and what we can really do about them.

In the early days of my work life I didn’t even realize that I needed any career advice. As my career and life progressed and ran into more bumps and sink holes than envisioned, it dawned on me that as a woman I needed some strong strategic career advice. Books and online material seemed like a good solution at first. There were a lot out there for women that advised them to “lean in,” “be resilient” and “play the game.” It was all about telling women to make it work and adjust to the norms for success, but there was barely anything on what to do if none of that worked or how to avoid difficult or toxic workplaces to begin with. In fact, there was no mention of any workplace being potentially toxic, which made me (and many other women) believe there was something wrong with us as opposed to the workplaces. That meant it was us who had to “adjust” to the norms, not the other way around.

As my career progressed, I noticed the structural diversity issues more and more. I made a concerted effort to get involved in DEI initiatives, not just in Canada but also globally. I started to share my experience with other women in the industry. As I opened up, I heard many other similar and sometimes even more distressing stories, some of which included sexual assault. It was appalling, not just because these were happening right under our noses but more so because no one was talking about them. It was like a taboo. Women were scared that if they said anything, they would lose their jobs. Based on the stories, they were right. Those who dared to say something were either terminated or demoted, with very small chance of landing another job, given that the industry was so very small. Hence everybody played ball and kept their mouths shut.

In fact, these issues were so common that it was one of the best kept secrets in the investments industry. Yet most women, like myself, thought it was just happening to them. They felt helpless and kept to themselves because they were convinced they had no power. Those who somehow managed to pierce through that glass ceiling thought they were super lucky.

Yet there was not and still isn’t much material discussing why trying to adjust to a potentially toxic environment could be the wrong approach. How about what to do when none of that works? Are there other alternatives—perhaps such as speaking up, drawing boundaries, changing the field, taking legal action or taking some time off from all negative elements? If so, when? Is there even a way to avoid such toxic workplaces?

It was during this period of self-realization and awakening that this book was born. While I would like to take full credit for its existence, it was in fact inspired by a number of very smart and hardworking women who paved the way for this book to come into being. The first time the idea of writing something came up was roughly a year after landing my first executive role.

I was invited by Forté to an event. Forté is a global community of women that aims to launch them into fulfilling and significant careers. I was asked to share “my story” with a group of young and aspiring women, who were looking or exploring to attend an MBA program internationally. In addition to my story, I shared a list of “my life’s learnings” that was created just for that event. The questions from the audience were endless. The content seemed to have had some tangible impact on these bright young women. I utilized that list from time to time when women approached me to ask for advice to help with their career trajectory. As time went by, more and more women suggested I should share these strategies and advice with other working women out there. The story of this book, which started there, could have easily ended there, but luckily it didn’t.

As time went by, I had more mentees, was surrounded by more women and got more involved in gender diversity initiatives. That put me at the epicenter of not only women in investments, but also senior women in leadership roles in asset management.This is where it became clear that we were definitely very few in numbers. The situation seemed to be quite similar in other male-dominated industries as well, and things were not getting better.

It seemed like the right time and environment to put this book together. The goal was sharing not only what I had learned from my own struggles, but also what I had learned from some of the most amazing women I had the privilege of knowing or working with, all of whom had taken precious time out of their lives to share their wisdom with me and now with you as well.

This book therefore compiles not only my experiences but also my endless hours of mentoring with my female mentees, colleagues, industry friends, my two amazing executive coaches and the guidance gleaned from my own mentors as well as some amazing men who have been a great believer in and ally of women and without whom it would be impossible to make it this far in my career. While many have grown up in North America, many others are first- or second-generation immigrants and have started their lives in unconventional places like me. Some are simply junior; some mid-level and others have made it all the way to the top. This book therefore is my synthesis of this collective knowledge, which I hope can shine some light on your path as it has done for me, and helps make your career journey happier, empowering and more meaningful.

Why the Reference to Investments?

The investment industry is mentioned throughout this book by default, given that the collective knowledge shared is mostly based on real-life examples and research from the investment industry. In fact, it started out as material that was geared towards women and their allies in investments. However, after the first round of reviews, I got a lot of questions as to why it wasn’t geared towards all women in male-dominated industries.

It was a valid question. After collating more information and doing more research, it became clear that the experiences and issues women faced in investments were not uncommon in other male-dominated industries as well as in some female-dominated ones. There were some issues or solutions that were specific to investments, but the overlap was sufficient enough to expand the audience. This makes sense because at the end of the day the entire topic is based on human nature, and that is industry-agnostic. Hence, the name and content eventually changed from being focused on investments to including male-dominated industries as well.

That being said, there will likely be pockets of information that may not apply to you, or there may be issues or strategies that may exist in your industry that are not covered here. Yet it should still give you a robust enough framework to utilize as you make important decisions throughout your career.

While the content is broadened to include other sectors, it still leans on the investment industry as the basis for most of the real-life examples and lessons. This is due to the fact that the investment field is a great breeding ground for a lot of the gender-related issues women have been facing in the workplace. In other words, it is great for sampling purposes. You may wonder why that is the case.

It is because investments is a special area of finance where the main focus is management of money or any financial asset... and where there is money, there is intense competition. That is not entirely surprising. After all, the quality of our lives is in part defined and determined by the amount of money or financial assets we acquire throughout our lives.

This reminds me of one of my father’s pieces of advice to me when I was making my career decision in my teenage years. At the time he told me that being closer to money would increase the chances of making more money. As an investment guru himself who was the CEO of multiple banks during his colorful career, I think he was dead on. The closer one is to money, more money you make, but that also means the fiercer the competition gets.

Hedge funds are just one of many great examples. Countless millionaires and billionaires were and are still made in this industry. This is like trying to be close to the water in the middle of a desert where the rule of scarcity prevails. It is almost like a scene from the famous movie series Mad Max. For those of you who may not haven’t seen it or don’t remember the details, Mad Max is about the survival of the fittest at all costs in a world where the most precious resource—oil—has been depleted and the world plunged into war, famine and financial chaos due to fierce competition for...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 14.8.2023
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Wirtschaft
• ISBN-13: 9798350910179 / 9798350910179