Episode notes
After 10 seasons, Women at Work is changing things up for the better. We’re shifting to a new, year-round schedule, releasing a new episode every other Monday, starting March 10. That means more episodes that inspire reflection and growth, more practical advice, and more insights and stories that make you feel seen and supported in your career.
Podcast
Women at Work
Harvard Business Review · Business · English
Women face gender discrimination throughout our careers. It doesn't have to derail our ambitions — but how do we prepare to deal with it? There's no workplace orientation session about narrowing the wage gap, standing up to interrupting male colleagues, or taking on many other issues we encounter at
More from Women at Work All episodes →
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S11 · E5 · 5 May 2025 · 49 min
What to Share, What to Hold Back
Self-disclosure at work can build trust and connection, but it also comes with risks. In one of our earliest episodes, the late Columbia professor Katherine Phillips explained how sharing personal experiences helps diverse teams connect. We revisit that 2018 conversation and talk with her longtime collaborators, Tracy Dumas and Nancy Rothbard, who explain how expectations around self-disclosure have shifted, especially with the rise of remote work, social media, and political polarization. Plus, the Amys reflect on what they’ve learned about when, why, and how to open up at work.
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S11 · E4 · 21 Apr 2025 · 25 min
The Difference You Can Make in a Recent Grad’s Career
Young women are entering the workforce full of potential but without some of the interpersonal skills they need to succeed and advance. That’s not just their problem; it’s ours too. In this live conversation from SXSW EDU, Amy Gallo talks with Neda Norouzi, an architecture professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and Aimee Laun, director of the Career Connections Center at Texas Woman’s University, about the gap between what colleges teach and what workplaces expect—and the critical role mentors, managers, professors, and parents can play in bridging it.
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S11 · E3 · 7 Apr 2025 · 35 min
Ask the Amys: Favoritism, Unsupportive Managers, and More
Imagine having a direct report who sobs every time you give them feedback. Or leading a team of people who’ve told your boss they don’t trust you. Or managing people for the first time—43 of them—with no training or guidance. The Amys offer advice for getting through these real situations from listeners–not just advice, but actual language for asserting your needs, earning trust, setting boundaries, and holding your ground even when emotions run high.
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S11 · E2 · 24 Mar 2025 · 41 min
The Essentials: Asking Purposeful Questions
Purposeful questions do more than clarify details—they reveal how you think and demonstrate leadership potential. Amy Gallo talks with a program manager looking to strengthen her executive presence and question-asking skills. Harvard Business School professor Alison Wood Brooks joins them to offer research-backed guidance on eliciting useful responses, building credibility through questions, and adapting to different conversational settings.
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S11 · E1 · 10 Mar 2025 · 38 min
Getting Along with an Insecure Tormentor
What do you do when a formerly supportive boss turns against you? Amy G advises a project manager who still believes in her team, just not the person leading it. Learn tactics for managing up, protecting your reputation, and preserving your sanity.
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S10 · E8 · 9 Dec 2024 · 43 min
We’re Asking for (and Getting) What We Want
What could you achieve if you asked for what you truly want at work? Amy Gallo and four listeners embraced Alison Fragale’s “nos challenge,” requesting everything from clearer communication and help with a project to leadership opportunities and job title changes. As they pursued 10 rejections each, they noticed surprising patterns in how people respond, overcame fears of rejection, and made progress on personal and professional goals. Their experiences offer practical insights into how to ask assertively and gain status—even when the answer is no.
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S10 · E7 · 2 Dec 2024 · 55 min
How to Leap Mid-Career from One Industry to Another
When you realize the line of work you’ve been in for years doesn’t interest you anymore or is in decline or won’t ever pay well enough, what’s your next move? Amy B speaks with executive coach Nina Bowman about the process of making a bold mid-career leap: how to identify a new path, build connections to land interviews, and tell the story of how you’ll succeed in a completely different role. Then, two listeners who made bold leaps themselves—one from academia to tech, the other from government to consulting—share their experiences and insights.
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S10 · E6 · 25 Nov 2024 · 41 min
Consumed by Caregiving
A past guest recounts how she burned out, quit her job, intended to get a new job after taking a breather, and then didn’t for over a year. That’s because someone in her family kept getting sick or hurt, she had to move twice, and all of the logistical and emotional responsibilities fell to her (because who else was going to take them on?!) Sociologist Jessica Calarco helps her make sense of that exhausting year of unpaid work and the forces that put her and other women in this sort of position.
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S10 · E5 · 18 Nov 2024 · 53 min
Working While Parenting a Teen: Not What I Expected
Do you expect to have more time for yourself and for your career as your kids become teens and young adults? Amy G did. If you too are getting “urgent” texts from your teenager at all hours, feeling judged by other parents about your level of involvement, and trying to figure out how to set the right amount of boundaries, she and Danna Greenberg hear you and have advice.
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S10 · E4 · 11 Nov 2024 · 56 min
Chats, Bots, and Prompts: Make GenAI Work for You
There’s something about hearing how other women are making the most of LLMs that can turn even the most GenAI-avoidant among us GenAI-curious. At least that’s what happened to the Amys when they heard from several power users who’ve broadened their thinking, deepened their agency at work, and saved themselves time and stress. Maybe in listening to them you’ll be inspired too.
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