No Explanation Required!: A Woman's Guide to Assert Your Confidence and Communicate to Win at Work

by Carol Sankar

Smart communication strategies to help professional women break into the C-suite―and thrive when they arrive! With only 5.8% of CEO positions in the S&P 500 held by women, it’s clear that there are more women who deserve a seat at the table than actually have one. In No Explanation Required! , Carol Sankar gives you the strategies you need to create the success you deserve―today. As founder of the global leadership firm, The Confidence Factor for Women, her goal is to ensure you deliver decisions and other communications with confidence―no “explanations” required! Loaded with real-life examples and backed by proprietary research, No Explanation Required! coaches you on how to speak up for yourself, stop debating your decisions, and eliminate “limiting” language. In example after example, it becomes clear how these too-frequent expressions (“I’m sorry,” “Excuse me,” “I’ll get back to you”) can strip you of your authority and credibility. Instead, you’ll discover positive, practical ways to assert your confidence and master communication at work, with chapters that include “The Self Promotion Gap,” “Perception and Performance,” “What’s Like Got to Do with It?,” and “The 8-Minute Rule”―how to create 8-minute micro conversations and connections. Every chapter offers key takeaways you’ll want to put into effect immediately―and keep in mind always. With the tactics in No Explanation Required! mastered, you’ll be better equipped to stop explaining and start negotiating―for gender parity, better compensation, opportunities, and so much more.

Genres: Nonfiction

240 pages, Hardcover

Published December 29, 2021

Reviews

[Readersaurus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fierce and uncompromising, Sankar offers some pretty good advice for women looking to advance in the business world. Not everything in this book will suit all professions. Especially valuable are the sections on how to present yourself, communicate, highlight the value you bring to an organization or a project, how to turn down opportunities that do not interest you, and how to stop apologizing for things that need no apology.

[Erin Nielsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a self proclaimed and recovering "sorry -a -holic", I've recognized the importance of detaching from a certain level of modesty and celebrating achievements in the workplace. This book was a great exploration of uncovering bad habits around passiveness and reactivity.

[Nerissa Golden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A valuable tool for women who want to advance in their careers and business.
Take notes, implement the ideas presented, expect results.

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good stuff

[Ally Kornberger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Happy to have found this book early in my career. The communication strategies are very helpful, as well as the Emotional Freedom Technique (EMT), which you can use to be more present and mindful. This is also a great technique for managing anxiety.

I love Sankar’s strategy of embodying your alter ego. This is a powerful tool for separating yourself from the fear of failure and releasing the pressure of perfection. The alter ego promotes positive risk taking and minimizes the anxiety that comes with perceiving situations as high stakes.

Finally, the sample scripts are very useful. I wish I had these from the moment I accepted my first job at jet.com / Walmart e-commerce (enjoyed that reference).

[Mallory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good suggestions, a lot I was already familiar with. Much of the content was geared toward getting women in the C-suite or for those with entrepreneurial aspirations. However, there are takeaways for any woman who works or who simply engages with others on a daily basis. One of my biggest gripes is hearing reasons why you are saying no or were late. I've been guilty of it plenty and it's something I'm actively working to change. Sankar provides plenty of examples from her experiences of how to change your language and your mindset in these situations.