Quit bein' a Girl

by Lois P. Frankel

77 Ways Women Win at Work

189 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Dr. Lois Frankel, President of Corporate Coaching International, a Pasadena, California consulting firm, literally wrote the book on coaching people to succeed in businesses large and small around the globe. Her books Nice Girls Don’t Get The Corner Office and Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich are international bestsellers translated into over twenty-five languages worldwide. Stop Sabotaging Your Career, a book based on her experiences as a pioneer in the field of business coaching working with everyone from CEOs to entry-level professionals, is a must-read for both men and women.

Reviews

[Sarah Weiner]

Honestly, I didn't expect this book to be any good.

It's 20 years old, and I'm pretty sure I only have it because a family friend was trying to get rid of her books and she said, "hey, you're a woman in the workplace" and she gave it to me.

But I've been on a feminism-kick lately and The Feminine Mystique is at my mom's house and this book was on my bookshelf, so I thought, "what the hell?"

I read it in an hour and it was actually quite helpful.

I don't offer my suggestions as declarative statements. I do worry about being wrong - even though I think I'm at least 60 percentile in terms of female confidence.

She's right. Most of her suggestions are helpful - even in 2025. It would be interesting to see how Frankel would edit this for a work-from-home environment.

Also, with the exception of telling you to keep normal hours, she doesn't get into the work-life imbalance that affects so many women in the workplace.

And she says to never bake for your coworkers. Can't say I'll follow her advice on that one - I work for a Jewish organization.

[Daze]

My sister gifted this to me as I've recently been promoted as a supervisor. A lot of it is common sense but there is lots of good advice for navigating the power dynamics and maintaining control of a difficult workplace situation. Some good psychology hacks such as Rule 72: Reject the Fait Accompli which is a good tip for when someone tries to make believe there are no alternative solutions to an irreversible action. While I would not regard this book as academic, it is an easy, fast read and some of the points could be applied to any work situation which behooves you to maintain credibility and respect in a place of power.

[Sheyda]

This is a simple book to read with very specific coaching tips as to how a woman can grow and be powerful in a work environment. It truly helped me at work.

[Jenni]

some really great points-easy read-finish in 1 or 2 sittings.

[Daniella]

For those women who are joining the wagon of corporate America, you must read this book. It is very helpful in pointing out the dos and the donts as a women in the corporate world.