Publications
Recent
Brook Graham publications
Jacey Graham co-authored, with Peninah Thomson and Tom Lloyd, 'A Woman's Place is in the Boardroom', published by Palgrave Macmillan.
“This is a book born out of extensive research among those with leadership responsibilities in today's boardrooms. It fills an obvious gap in modern business literature. It should be a very valuable read for all women aspiring to take their place in the boardroom as well as being a valuable source of insight for all directors and chairmen who want to create success through diversity”
– Sir John Parker, Chairman, National Grid
We’re delighted to announce the follow up to “A Woman’s Place is in the Boardroom” with “A Woman’s Place is in the Boardroom: the Roadmap”. Whilst in the first book the authors described the problem, gave comprehensive views of how it looked from both sides, and presented the arguments for positive change, this second book is all about the ‘how to’. It develops the arguments and analysis of the first book, introduces eight practical steps that women can take to become successful candidates for board level positions, and also explains what organizations can do to achieve change in the boardroom.
Please click on the button below to download our brochure and order form:
Review of ‘A Woman’s Place is in the Boardroom: the Roadmap’ by Anna Allan, FCIPD, director HalsAllan Ltd. (This review was featured in People Management 24th July 2008)
"If you read only one book this year, make it this one. Whatever your role and gender I guarantee the ideas explored in only 120 pages of pragmatic text will bring rich rewards.
This book is a companion volume to one written in 2005 in which the authors documented a compelling case for increasing the number of women on FTSE boards. It is a response to repeated requests for a roadmap of how this might be done. As such, it is insightful, concise and very readable. The practical style ensures benefits for the reader, both personally and as a guide to taking corporate action.
While it is an acknowledged fact that women are raised differently from men, the implications for the way women tackle corporate careers often tend to be overlooked. Corporate boards are predominantly male and it is men who set the unwritten and unspoken rules of how to reach the boardroom. As might be expected, much of this book focuses on helping women to understand the rules so they can engage on a level playing field.
Less expected, but welcome, is the underlying message that once they know the rules, it’s not necessary for women to behave like men to succeed. Indeed, the authors assert it would be foolish to try, since this places women in a double bind where they cannot meet social expectations either way. The considered advice is to be authentic, something which is increasingly echoed in leadership literature. Of course, the converse is that male board directors must be open to valuing women’s authentic experiences and strengths, even where these differ markedly from those of men. I liked the non-judgmental tone, suggesting that, while male culture is often seen as the obstacle, men’s obstructions are rarely conscious. The key for both sexes is to challenge outmoded thinking.
Particularly heartening for ambitious HR professionals is the suggestion that boards re-evaluate the function as a potential source of candidates. HR is predominantly a female profession and this is likely to have considerable implications for the type of people likely to be attracted to the function in future. In the meantime, colleagues who read this book could find it life changing".
Meet the author clip: http://www.palgrave.com/media/boardroom.asp
“Diverse Britain 2008” published by St James’s House July 08
We are delighted to have been asked by the Commission for Equality and Human Rights to contribute towards the publication of a new book in the UK, “Diverse Britain”. The book contains case studies from the public and private sectors on initiatives being taken to increase the diversity of Britain’s workforce and leadership. Our chapter is about the sort of work we do in consulting with large global companies which have operations in the UK. The Prime Minister Gordon Brown said in the book launch publicity “Diverse Britain showcases a wide range of initiatives that are increasing opportunities and breaking down barriers between the public, private and third sectors, bringing people together and helping to build a fairer and more equal Britain”. The book was launched on 30th July 2008 and is published by St James’s House.