Pinching Pennies To Chapter Summary

1 Summary of the book
This book is about the unique mistakes women make at work, the coaching suggestions the writer provides to help them take charge of their careers, and the ways in which women hold themselves back from achieving their full potential.
The mistakes described in each chapter are real, as are the accompanying examples. The coaching tips at the end of each section are identical to the ones the writer provides to women around the world (he’s namely a coach, trainer, human resource professional and psychotherapist). Many of these women later report that the suggestions helped them get promoted, hired, a raise, more respect from their management and peers, or the confidence needed to start their own businesses.
Chapter 1 is
about how to get started and the explanation of how girls are. In this chapter there is self-assessment that shows your strengths and weaknesses. After you get to know yourself by doing the self-assessment some specific coaching tips are given like to give yourself permission to move from girlhood to womanhood, visualize yourself as you want to be, talk back the fearful voice inside your head, surround yourself with a Plexiglas shield, etc.
Chapter 2 is about how to play the game. It’s about the fact that women don’t like the idea of playing the game of business. But actually women are born to win that game because they can listen, collaborate, motivate and see the human side of their staff. In this chapter the weaknesses of women are explained: stop doing the work of others, stop working without a break, stop being naïve, stop protecting jerks, etc.
Chapter 3 is about how to act. This chapter explains the subtle, stereotypical behavior of women. For example: needing to be liked, not asking questions for fear of sounding stupid, telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth, etc.
Chapter 4 is about how to think. This chapter shows that women think too much. For example: don’t take full responsibility, don’t obediently follow instructions, don’t let people waste your time, don’t ignore the importance of network relationships, etc.
Chapter 5 is about how to brand and market yourself. The workplace is a marketplace and the product is you. The problems are: waiting to be noticed, being modest, staying in the safety zone, giving away ideas, being invisible, etc.
Chapter 6 is about how to sound. This chapter is focused on how women communicate. The best ideas fall on deaf ears because woman can’t convince because of their lack of specific and persuasive language. Mistakes: asking permission, explaining, apologizing, not answering the question, talking too fast… Chapter 7 is about how to look. This chapter is about the things that women unconsciously do that make them look less capable and competent then they really are. For example: smile inappropriately, wearing inappropriate makeup, dressing inappropriately, sitting in meetings with your hands under the table,…
Chapter 8 is the last chapter and is about how to respond. This is about how women respond to the ways people treat them. For example: believing others know more than you, tolerating inappropriate behavior, putting the needs of others before your own, and mistake 101: crying.

2 Vocabulary
Facilitate to make possible or easier
Strident describes a sound which is loud, unpleasant and rough
Decades a period of ten years, especially a period such as 1860 to 1869, or 1990 to 1999
Placate to stop someone from feeling angry
Detrimental causing harm or damage
Contingent a group of people representing an organization or country, or a part of a military force
Compliant willing to do what other people want you to do
Reinforcement when something is made stronger
Derail to prevent a plan or process from succeeding
Counteract to reduce or remove the effect of something unwanted by producing an opposite effect
Proofing To test; examine for flaws, errors, etc.; check against a standard or standards
Diligently Constant in effort to accomplish something; attentive and persistent in doing anything
Pinching pennies To stint on or be frugal or economical with expenditures; economize: i'll have to pinch pennies if I'm going to get through school
Constituents A person who authorizes another to act in his or her behalf, as a voter in a district represented by an elected official
Acquiescing To consent or comply passively or without protest
Limp A lame movement or gait
Couching To put into words; to express
Pitch The particular tonal standard with which given tones may be compared in respect to their relative level
Grooming To clean, brush, and otherwise tend
Scapegoat A person or group made to bear the blame for others or to suffer in their place.
Outset: the beginning or start Honing To perfect or make more intense or effective
Strident Having a shrill, irritating quality or character
Astute Clever; cunning; ingenious
Placated To appease or pacify, especially by concessions or conciliatory gestures
Detrimental Causing detriment; damaging; harmful
Scorn An object of derision or
contempt
Plateauing To cause to remain at a stable level, esp. To prevent from rising or progressing
Impeding To retard in movement or progress by means of obstacles or hindrances; obstruct; hinder
Extolled To praise highly
Procurement To attain possession of something, usually after exerting a substantial effort to do so
Veracity A truth
Colluding To act together through a secret understanding
ROI Return on investment
Wield To exercise, as in ruling or dominating
Reluctant Unwilling; disinclined
Disparaging To depreciate
Leverage Power or ability to act or to influence people, events, decisions
Scope Extent or range of view, outlook, application, operation, effectiveness

3 Questions
Which five items from the book did you find particularly interesting for business students? Explain them and explain each time why you found them of interest.

1. Not asking questions in fear of sounding stupid
This is a mistake women often make and it’s interesting for me because it’s a mistake you can work on really easily. One tip for example is to trust your instincts and I think women have to do more often.

2. Staying in the safety zone
Women in the corporate world are known as not taking any risks and here the book clarifies things. 3. Taking full responsibility
If there’s one thing a lot of women do than it must be taking full responsibility. And because that should change I find it an interesting part.

4. Believing others know more than you
Women believe others know more than themselves and I find this interesting because that’s why they stay in the safety zone and don’t dare to take risks.

5. Polling before making a decision
Because women want to stay in their safety zone but not always can they have the tendency to poll an idea before executing it.
This is a way to be secure and to gain confidence about their ideas.

Why should a manager read this book? For whom is it particularly useful and why? What is immediately useful?

In general it’s a book with very useful tips for men and women. But it’s particularly interesting for female managers because lots of the mistakes they make are explained and come with an action plan. It’s an interesting book because people don’t always know why they’re mistaken and this book gives you all 101 reasons why things don’t always work out the way you planned.

When reading the mistakes you will find yourself nodding the head and smiling because it are all common frequently made mistakes. The useful part of the book isn’t the mistakes themselves but the solution to the mistakes we make. With each mistake there is a solution carefully chosen that will help.

The coaching tips at the end of each section are immediately useful. Many women later report that the suggestions helped them get promoted, hired, a raise, more respect from their management and peers, or the confidence needed to start their own business.

Was there any information in the book you disagreed with?
Why?

There was nothing I disagreed with, the book was very meaningful. It’s a book for all types of women in the corporate world and every woman will read mistakes they make. Of course not every mistake is made by just one woman, it’s a book for all different types of women and that’s why we don’t recognize ourselves in every mistake.