Work Like a Woman: A Manifesto For Change

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Beginning her retail career in John Lewis, Harrods and Topshop, she joined Harvey Nichols, progressing to the Board as Creative Director in 1989. She was credited with leading its transformation into a world renowned fashion store. In 1997 she launched her own agency, Yellowdoor (now called Portas) which has made its mark in the creative advertising landscape, producing category challenging campaigns and championing brand development for clients including Clarks, Louis Vuitton, Oasis, Swarovski, Dunhill, Boden, Thomas Pink, Patek Philippe and Westfield. I was really interested and intrigued to read Mary’s theories about leadership using more traditionally ‘feminine’ values, but I was hugely disappointed. 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. 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?) already in place in my current working environment (higher education). I therefore found it a bit bizarre that she proposed these things as new and groundbreaking. I would have liked to know more about what she meant by leading by intuition and more interesting and original examples of what ‘feminine’ leadership looks like in theory and in practice. There was also very little definition of what she meant by ‘feminine’. Portas writes in her typically uncompromising and unapologetic style about the need for a new model of leadership based on the values and whole of life perspective that are largely missing in the upper echelons of today's organisations. I listened to the audio book and enjoyed it. I'm glad Mary Portas narrated it herself as she did so with vigour. I was entertained by the book, and enjoyed learning about her career journey.

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

Really enjoyed reading this and recommending it to everyone. There aren't many books that can claim to change your life, but this one will. Clare Balding Mary is very experienced which came across in her writing. Some of her anecdotes were interesting and helpful, other times it felt a bit like an autobiography which is not what I signed up for (maybe I’m being a bit harsh). In a nutshell: Author Mary Portas details her career struggles rising through the ranks of department store marketing and shares her thoughts for ways to improve the workplace so it works better for all of us — men and women. It's about calling time on alpha culture and helping every one of us to be happier, more productive and collaborative.Loved this book and Mary’s conversational style of writing - you can imagine her saying every line. Referencing her own experiences of work in an alpha-male world, Mary challenges the typical workplace and how ‘working like a woman’ and bringing equality into both the workplace and the home can have benefits for both women and men. Mary has got it spot on with what millennials in particular are looking for in their working life, and there’s very few companies taking into consideration sharing childcare, collaboration, letting people be their real self and standing up for what they believe in, I’d love to work’s at the Portas agency. I can only hope that every company moves to this way of thinking in the future and we create a more equal working culture. Why I chose it: I’ve been working from home since moving to the UK for my partner’s job, but just started a new office gig this week. 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. I wasn’t totally wrong, but I wasn’t right, either. This is half-memoir and half-advice, which actually worked really well for me. 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. It makes for both easy reading and it shows how Mary knows what she is talking about and has experienced the advice she is giving. She has had a fascinating life and career where she had to work incredibly hard to get where she is now. I like that Mary tries not to exclude men from this, and couches terms in such a way that you know she isn't saying they apply only to, and to all, women exclusively. It shows that thought has gone into the presentation of this manifesto, as well as into the beliefs it represents.

Work Like a Woman by Mary Portas | Waterstones

But let’s be clear here: women don’t get a free pass on all this. 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. Best for: People looking for a bit of a memoir mixed in with some genuinely good ideas about improving our workplace. However, I don't really feel any less confused about my own career. I don't think either book enlightens the world of women in work in the ways they *think* they do.At first, Portas had relished her television career, which began in 2007 with Mary Queen of Shops for the BBC, in which she helped to turn around struggling fashion boutiques (she was discovered by the late Pat Llewellyn, who brought us Jamie Oliver). She knew she was good at it. She was also, at 46, old enough for it not to turn her head (she still had her business, then called Yellow Door).