Work Like a Woman: A Manifesto For Change

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Yet for every hard-working, no-nonsense retail saviour are multiple fast fashion online outlets churning out cheap clothes at a Rumplestiltskin rate. There was just no need for it in this book and her examples of her career triumphs and clever decisions stuck out in a very noticeable and sometimes incongruous way. At work, a senior male colleague told me that the reason I might be held back with regards to progression and climbing the ranks at a young age is because I’m “too nice”. I picked up this book after the work incident, at the airport before going on holiday as I was after a light and inspiring read. Of the few ideas she did propose, such as enhanced maternity pay, flexible working, no blame culture and not putting profit at the heart of everything, I found them unoriginal and also (can I be the only one?

Work Like a Woman by Mary Portas | Waterstones

I am eager to read Rebuild, to know what a post-Covid, post-divorce and now podcasting Mary has planned for the world of retail. Alpha culture might have been put in place by men, but we’re also working alongside them and, in many cases, perpetuating the status quo. Worth quoting: “But the irony is that the whole thing is deeply emotional: wanting to smash the competition and be top dog isn’t exactly unfeeling, is it? Her clients, however, shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking she and her company are two separate entities. Read this as part of a work book group - somebody said she thought Mary was a bit of a Janet Street Porter figure before she read the book - and if honest that’s what I thought.

If you had told Mary Newton at 15 what life she would end up leading, she would not have believed you. There seemed to be a lot of padding and repetition of the same points about gender inequality in the workplace, and very few actual ideas or examples of what she proposed. I figured I could both use a refresher on how offices work and thought this one on how they could be improved would be a good place to start. When she first began working in television, no one knew she was living with a woman, and her then business partner, a gay man, advised her to keep quiet. I leave the house knowing that what I’m wearing is a reflection of me: colourful, confident and slightly flamboyant.

Work Like a Woman - Penguin Books UK

I don't work in an office/board environment but there were definitely parts of the book that I could take away and think about. But I don't think the advice tracks across to women working in small organisations, waitresses, nurses, doctors, public sector roles, etc etc. Candid and conversational, Work Like a Woman challenges women’s experiences within the workplace and outlines the ways in which employers and organisations need to adapt their way of working to suit a more equal workforce; something which feels particularly pertinent after a year of enforced and necessary working from home. Just before she went on stage to give a speech, he turned to her and asked: “Tell me, Mary: how do two women fuck? Even if we’re not a complete fit for the group we’re part of, we like to create social groups with rules we understand and can work to.Both womens' success can be attested to a combination of 'right-place, right-time', hard work, good sponsors/mentors, and so on. Each chapter starts with Mary Portas telling part of her story and it seamlessly changes into advice that links to what she as talking about at the start of the chapter. She isn’t always in the office these days, but her new book is about work, and she wanted me to see the light, airy, strictly non-hierarchical space she describes in its pages. After making her name transforming Harvey Nichols into a global fashion destination, Mary launched Portas, her own creative company, with the mission to transform businesses into brands, places and spaces people want in their lives. My marriage [to Graham Portas, with whom she has two children, Verity and Mylo] had broken up on mutual terms.

Work Like a Woman: A Manifesto for Change Book - Oliver Bonas

I did pause and consider if I was judging her unfairly in this respect, and thinking differently because she’s a woman, but I really don’t think it was that. I was really interested and intrigued to read Mary’s theories about leadership using more traditionally ‘feminine’ values, but I was hugely disappointed.Half of it is about Mary Portas' life and half touches on the general shocking reality of many women's working (and personal) lives. Her story about how she managed to get Harvey Nics get featured in the hit series Ab Fab is my favourite! I do think some of the things Mary suggests are a tad pie in the sky, but you never know - if enough people did change their thought processes maybe a more equitable workplace is something we will see in our life times, rather than something our grandchildren will benefit from. So what I’m wondering is this: what will they make of me when I appear on the podium in floral trousers and a cobalt blue jacket? If, say, there were just a few of us in the workforce and the rest of us were sitting around posting pictures of cushion covers on our Pinterest boards I could maybe grasp why adapting our working culture to better reflect and reward women’s strengths might not be considered a priority.