Just
released Mistakes I made at Work is already winning praise: it was named by Fast
Company as a "Top 10 Book You Need to Read This Year" and a “Top 10 Business
Book for Spring 2014” by Publisher’s Weekly. This new book is a series of essays from 25 successful
women about their toughest work moments and what they’ve learned. Interviewees
include best-selling authors like Ruth Ozeki (Tale for the Time Being), Cheryl
Strayed (Wild), and Ruth Reichl (Delicious!); plus a Director Emeritus
from McKinsey, Joanna Barsch, and current
Stanford Professor, Carol Dweck (author of Mindset), who will be
speaking in Evanston on May 9th.
Somehow, we often struggle to gain perspective so as to learn from our own mistakes;
how refreshing to be able to sit down with this book and readily learn from the
interviews gathered by Jessica Bacal, director of the Wurtele Center for Work
and Life at Smith College. Written in a mostly conversational tone, Mistakes I
made at Work is filled with tips and stories that will surprise you. In
fact, PsychCentral has already published a review called “3
Lessons from Making Mistakes at Work.”
Perfect for soon-to-be-graduates, Bacal's collection of essays is divided into
four main sections:
- Learning to Take Charge of Your Own Narrative
- Learning to Ask
- Learning to Say No
- Learning Resilience
Overall, I found that Mistakes I
made at Work dovetailed nicely with another new
book on my shelf titled Thanks for the Feedback by Douglas Stone
and Sheila Heen (both of whom spoke locally for Family Action Network in early March). That, in turn, complimented suggestions from Carole Robin, a Stanford lecturer, on Feedback
as a Gift. In fact, I see many ways to use these resources with classes. Each year our business students choose some independent
reading titles and I will be purchasing Bacal’s Mistakes I made at Work and recommending it. English classes, especially Senior Writers’
Seminar, will also likely use some of the essays
for class discussion. A former teacher herself, Jessica Bacal has provided a
wonderful way to offer mentorship to young women.
