Thirty years after the feminist revolution, women have a wealth of opportunities their mothers never dreamed possible. But whether women opt for corporate careers, strike out on their own as entrepreneurs, or leave their jobs to pursue the "Mommy Track," their choices always come with a price.
And often, after the first shift working at the office and the second shift working on the home, in those quiet hours of contemplation that Michele Bolton calls the third shift, even the most outwardly successful women are plagued by doubts about the decisions and trade-offs they've made. In this book, Bolton gives women techniques for turning the third shift from a time of guilt and self-doubt into an opportunity to build self-awareness and self-confidence.
Bolton examines the three most important dilemmas women face: expressing your true identity or conforming to the expectations of others; focusing on the task at hand or worrying about the feelings of coworkers; working on your own goals or serving the needs of others. Then, using case studies drawn from her consulting work and a three-year study conducted with women in Silicon Valley, she conveys effective strategies real-life women have used to deal with these dilemmas in the corporate world, in an entrepreneurial environment, and in life at home and in the community.
In each chapter, Bolton provides handy summaries of these strategies. She also captures the actual thoughts women have about each issue in a dialogue that contrasts self-awareness with self-doubt, so that women can begin to change their own internal dialogue into one of self-guidance, self-acceptance, and inner harmony. By identifying and analyzing the unique challenges women face, Bolton helps them make more effective decisions about their lives and attain personal satisfaction no matter which path they choose.