It’s Not a Glass Ceiling, It’s a Sticky Floor

Cheryl Stone, SPHR, reviews It’s Not a Glass Ceiling, It’s a Sticky Floor: Free Yourself From the Hidden Behaviors Sabotaging Your Career Success by Rebecca Shambaugh.

In It’s Not a Glass Ceiling, It’s a Sticky Floor: Free Yourself From the Hidden Behaviors Sabotaging Your Career Success, author Rebecca Shambaugh reminds us that even after years of awareness-raising statistics and studies, women remain grossly underrepresented in the top executive earners.  In her book, she attributes this not to the time-honored standards of the old-boy network or the invisible glass ceiling.  Rather, she blames what she calls “self-imposed career blocks” that prevent women from moving up.  She labels these collectively as a “sticky floor” and challenges women to empower themselves by overcoming these seven career-limiting obstacles.

Her concept places more control in the hands of women to get ahead.  By becoming more self-aware, developing a plan, and executing that plan, Shambaugh asserts women can shake themselves loose from the sticky floor and rise to the level of executive management.  Shambaugh leads the reader through an assessment of values and creation of a vision.  She emphasizes the importance of seeking leadership positions that are in alignment with those values and vision to achieve the greatest satisfaction.

Shambaugh is the founder, president, and CEO of SHAMBAUGH Leadership, which has been recognized by Entrepreneur magazine as one of the top entrepreneurial companies in the Washington, D.C., area.  The author draws upon her experiences with her company and provides the reader with good suggestions, checklists, and self-help exercises.  Rounded out by thought-provoking questions, the book offers a way to identify your own “sticky floors” and ways to overcome them.  A worthwhile read for anyone looking to analyze and advance her career.

Cheryl Stone, SPHR, is Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Training for BankWest, Inc., a South Dakota community bank.  Cheryl is a poster on the HRHero.com Employer’s Forum and has worked in the field of human resources for over 25 years.