About the Book
'A passionate, practical roadmap for addressing inequality and finally making our workplaces work for women' – Arianna Huffington
Foreword by Gillian Anderson and Jennifer Nadel
For years, we’ve been telling women that in order to succeed at work, they need to change themselves first – lean in, negotiate like a man, don’t be too polite or you’ll never succeed (like a man). But after sixteen years working with major Fortune 500 companies as a leading gender-equality expert, Michelle P. King has realised one simple truth: the tired advice of fixing women doesn’t fix anything. The reality is that workplaces are gendered; they were designed by men for men. Based on King’s research and exclusive interviews with major companies and thought leaders, The Fix reveals the hidden sexism and invisible barriers holding women back at work every day.
Women are passed over for promotions, paid less and pushed out of the workforce – not because they aren’t good enough, but because they don’t fit the masculine ideal. In this fascinating and empowering book, King reveals the barriers that inhibit women – and men – at all stages of their careers and provides readers with a clear set of takeaways to help them thrive as they fight for change from within.
About the Author :
Michelle P. King is the Director of Inclusion at Netflix. A leading global expert in gender and organizations, she was most recently head of the UN Women Global Innovation Coalition for Change. King is an advisory board member for Girl Up, the United Nations Foundation’s adolescent girl campaign. King writes for Forbes, Thrive, and Harvard Business Review, and is also the host of the weekly podcast The Fix, which shares practical ways men and women can advance equality at work. She lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband and two children. For more information, visit MichellePKing.com. Michelle P. King is the Director of Inclusion at Netflix. A leading global expert in gender and organizations, she was most recently head of the UN Women Global Innovation Coalition for Change. King is an advisory board member for Girl Up, the United Nations Foundation’s adolescent girl campaign. King writes for Forbes, Thrive, and Harvard Business Review, and is also the host of the weekly podcast The Fix, which shares practical ways men and women can advance equality at work. She lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband and two children. For more information, visit MichellePKing.com.
Review :
‘While the focus is on women in this book, King is not blind to others facing barriers too — men themselves who deviate from the Don Draper model, for example, and others who are perceived as not fitting in. Fixing the workplace to help women will lead to fixing the workplace for all because, King concludes, “it is the only way companies will survive the inevitable changes to come”’
“Hammers home the point that employers are responsible for creating safe workplaces for women and for protecting them from not just harassment but also other forms of discrimination and threats to advancement.”
"A welcome addition to the growing chorus of voices calling out the system rather than individual women for workplace gender inequity…thoughtful, thorough, often enraging look at a broken system delivers a resounding and memorable message: ‘Women are not the problem.’”
“So much about the world of work—from workplace culture to our definition of success—was created by men, and it's not working for women or indeed for men. And it’s no surprise that women pay a disproportionately high price for their participation. That’s why The Fix, is so important. It’s a passionate, practical roadmap for addressing inequality and finally making our workplaces work for women.”
“Michelle King has written a book that is more than necessary today. With its clarity and common sense, its passion and practicality, it is a vital piece calling for a workplace that actually works for women. Michelle provides actions to take that do not succumb to the notion of 'fixing' women. Calling for accountability in what too often is a toxic environment is only as important as offering ways to bring about real change in that environment. Michelle writes with elegance and precision, inviting us all in to be better informed and better understood.”
“The structures in the workplace that prevent women from succeeding are the same structures that make it nearly impossible for men to become the emotionally aware, sensitive, and compassionate people—and colleagues—that we are capable of being. The Fix offers men the chance to unlearn some of the behaviors that harm us, and those around us, and invites us to shed the notion of who we are ‘supposed’ to be so we can do the meaningful work of learning who we truly are. Work that, when done right, allows us to become true allies in the fight to make the workplace, and the world, a more equitable place. King’s book is a compelling read for all men and organizations who want to do better and are unsure of where to start.”
“The Fix is a powerful and essential read which challenges the dominant mindset regarding women's capabilities and the high cost of false narratives which prevent them from succeeding at a level commensurate with their aptitude and skills. Insightful and thoroughly engaging, Michelle King provides practical solutions for bringing about tangible and lasting change, as well as an impassioned argument for equity that moves beyond the current discourse on women in the workplace.”
“We grow up with our mothers nursing, feeding, nurturing, guiding, reading, teaching, mentoring, and protecting us. Yet, for some reason we seem to forget that we wouldn’t be the men we are today without the women in our lives. What are we afraid of? Are we worried that we can’t handle the competition, we can’t seriously think we are better, can we? One can only hope that books like this will be read by men and women alike and that we can stop living in fear that only one gender can win.”
“Michelle King is a global ambassador on advancing women and girls in society. In this book, she explores the challenges women face today that impact their ability to succeed and lays out solutions organizations can apply to ensure a workplace where everyone thrives. Michelle understands that creating an inclusive and equitable workplace for everyone takes all of us. We are fortunate she is sharing her expertise and learnings, and is bringing us along this journey to implement real change.”
“Daring, thoughtful, and challenging! For all who want a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace, read this book today.”
“Michelle King’s work is an insightful look into the ways we, as a society, have unwittingly bought in to the idea that women in the workplace are what’s broken. The idea that in order to be successful, women need to do more or be more is simply not true, and reveals how our idea of gender stereotypes seeps into work culture and how we define what success looks like. This book is a practical walk through the ways we’ve failed women in the workplace and enforced harmful behavior from men, inviting us to the conclusion that women never needed fixing—we need to fix the workplace itself. The Fix starts an important conversation about how we’ll win, together.”
“The Fix is in! Michelle King offers a lively, practical guide to achieving equality in the workplace—and shows how that benefits both men and women. Her insightful book explains why so many well-intentioned diversity programs fail, and lays out proven steps that will help all of us succeed.”
“The Fix is critical to not only moving the conversation around equality at work forward but also providing practical solutions that can be applied in any workplace. Michelle King has taken years of data, interviews, and personal experiences and broken down the workplace to its foundation, a foundation previously built for one type of professional. In this powerful book, King crafts the future of work and offers a roadmap for crafting a new type of workplace where there is equal opportunity for all to succeed.”
“Michelle King candidly shares her own personal experiences and decades of research to reveal the invisible barriers women face at work. Drawing on her exposure to companies that are structured to enable only men to succeed, she suggests that our denial towards gender inequality is hurting women, and challenges the idea that women can improve their way to success. Bravely, Michelle offers the essential message that women are extraordinary as they are, and don’t need fixing—workplaces do.”
