Having spent some time studying and researching gender issues, here is the new layer of insight I got out of this read:

What are the strengths that men and women tend to ignore in themselves in the workplace? How do we limit ourselves based on gender, and end up with a self-fulfilling prophecy? What are the ways in which we limit ourselves on an individual basis in relation to one of the many sociological groups (gender) we all belong to?

Negotiation & Getting Things Done- yes there is a strong relationship here!

The process of GTD is one of self-organizing and having faith in our decision making ability. This research shows that men are vastly more likely to negotiate and have confidence in their own assessments and in their ability to act as "agents". Not too surprising given the history of the division of labor by gender, but it has some interesting implications for teaching GTD to women and to men.

The research implies that in some ways the decision making component of GTD may seem more natural to men. Or at the very least, I would argue that there is some component of GTD that supports and teaches behaviors that, in the past, men have excelled at: clarifying what you want, asking for it, and constantly negotiating with oneself and with others to achieve the desired outcome. These are powerful behaviors, and I'm thrilled to see a book that encourages women to get equally gutsy in the workplace, particularly since "asking for what you want" seems to be a handicap for many people, and something I see as a barrier to open communication.

On the other hand, several components of GTD tend to support more of our society's feminine ideal: the perception that women should be "in control" of their domestic sphere, for instance, and the increasing problem amongst working women to create a healthy work/life balance, which is something GTD can readily address. This books gives a decent introduction to the concept of the "double bind" - what many modern women are experiencing as they take on the vast majority of domestic work in addition to out-of-the-home careers, and childrearing. The term "double-bind" to me describes the internal sense that many women have (myself included at times) that they should be responsible for a tremendous, and frankly unfair, share of the family responsibilities. There is an upside to the double bind, research also shows that women who have a broad range of roles draw their self esteem from many sources. This is the "I am a mother, colleague, employee, wife, sister, and friend" mentality which can have better psychological benefits than the mindset many American men are falling into today: "I am the breadwinner, end of story." In such a magnificent changing and globalizing society, it is becoming more and more important to have healthy and robust ways of self-identifying. Breadwinner just doesn't cut it anymore, not for any gender.

This book at 50,000 feet: In looking at any intellectual argument, it's important that the authors have considered both pros and cons in analyzing "the way things are". What makes this book convincing is that the authors are quite forthright about wanting to make a worldwide positive change through greater awareness of how we are currently operating. To me that is the very attitude that supports my work with Getting Things Done. Once your purpose is clear, the only improvement you can make is to become more efficient. This body of research suggests that many women are clear in what they want, but could use more effective and more explicit means of negotiation to get there.

So should you take to heart the goal of becoming a better negotiator, believing in the natural abundance and prosperity of life, trusting that negotiation does not mean taking away, but instead means contributing your unique gifts to find a mutually beneficial outcome, I nudge you in the direction of this book!