1. Fortune favours the bold

“In general, women need to be more open to taking risks. For example, an internal report at Hewlett-Packard revealed that women only apply for open jobs if they think they meet 100% of the criteria listed. Men apply if they think they meet 60% of the requirements. Women need to shift from thinking ‘I’m not ready to do that’ to thinking ‘I want to do that— and I’ll learn by doing it.’”

2. Negotiate …but know what works

“A professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government believes that women can increase their chances of achieving a successful negotiation by coming across as concerned about others; and providing a legitimate explanation for the negotiation. Men don’t need to do either of these things since they are expected to look out for themselves. Women do better when they substitute ‘we’ for ‘I’ (ie stating ‘We had a great year,’ as opposed to ‘I had a great year’). Women also do better when they justify their request (ie ‘My manager suggested I talk with you about my compensation.’)”

3. If others say you’re “difficult” It’s probably not you, it’s them

“In 2003, Columbia Business School professor Frank Flynn and New York University professor Cameron Anderson ran an experiment to test perceptions of men and women in the workplace. The results showed that success and likability are positively correlated for men and negatively correlated for women. When a man is successful, he is liked by both men and women. When a woman is successful, people of both genders like her less. This attitude is hard to combat, but discussing gender bias openly, especially during peer reviews, may at least get people to think twice before they describe a female colleague as ‘really good at her job but not that well-liked by her peers.’ (Sound familiar?)”

4. Date bad boys; marry good men

“I truly believe that the single most important career decision that a woman makes is whether she will have a life partner and who that partner is. So date the bad boys, the crazy boys, the commitment-phobic boys, but when the time comes to settle down, find someone who wants to be a supportive and equal partner. (I give the same advice to men: date the crazy girls, but choose an equal partner.)”

5. Don’t leave before you leave

“After hiring over 1,000 people and watching their careers develop, I’ve noticed that women rarely make one big decision to leave the workforce. Instead, they make a lot of small decisions along the way, making accommodations and sacrifices that they believe will be required to have a family. By the time they actually do have a family, they are often in a job that doesn’t excite or challenge them. Anyone lucky enough to have options should keep them open. Don’t put on the brakes. Keep a foot on the gas pedal until a decision must be made.”

6. Make your partner a real partner

“In the last 30 years, women have made more progress in the workforce than in the home. In the United Kingdom, women do about twice as much child-care and housework as men. To achieve equality, we need men to step up and do a truly fair share of the housework and child care. The benefits will extend to everyone. Studies show that when fathers provide even just routine child-care, children have higher levels of educational and economic achievement and lower delinquency rates.”

The Superwoman’s Guide To Work