Honest, authentic communication in the workplace is critical for professional relationships and career growth, but women are often afraid to appear negative or call attention to themselves. Since there aren’t enough senior-level women to act as mentors, men have to step up to help women, even though they may be wary of sexual innuendo and misperceptions about male-female professional relationships. Sandberg’s advice is to change the mentality from “Get a mentor and you’ll excel,” to “Excel and you’ll get a mentor.” Women are more likely to try to chase a mentor connection and force a relationship. Having a mentor is critical for career progression, but women often have a hard time finding one. To advance professionally, it’s necessary to be brave on the career jungle gym and go after what you want, advocating for yourself. Taking risks is important because diverse experiences prepare you for leadership. When evaluating new career opportunities, look for jobs with growth potential even if it seems risky or the title is less prestigious. To improve yourself in the short term, Sandberg advises creating an 18-month plan, setting goals for professional accomplishments as well as learning and improving personal skills. For example, perhaps you want to travel or win a major prize. While mapping a career path isn’t necessary, it helps to have a long-term dream to provide direction. A jungle gym is a more apt metaphor for careers these days than the traditional “ladder to success.” People switch jobs, make lateral moves, and take more risks.
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