Male Perspectives on The Value of Women at Work

I must confess that at first glance the title of this excellent book by Susan Popoola did not immediately excite me. Who could doubt, even question ‘the value of women at work’ and why on earth do we need another book on the subject? Then I looked more closely and of course the answer is in the full title ‘Male Perspectives on the Value of Women at Work’ (published by Mosaic Gold Ltd 2021)

There is much to excite, illuminate, infuriate, and delight in reading this collection of personal and, in the main, attributable accounts of the perspectives of the men interviewed for this book. In fact, in stark contrast to my initial superficial reaction, the book brings together a rich and varied selection of the experiences of men from across continents, cultures, and workplaces and it makes for a fascinating and compelling read.

There is much in this book for all of us to learn from whether we identify as men, women, or non- binary. However, it is in the reflections of the 16-year-old man, known as Simon, that conclude the book, that I find the greatest hope and inspiration - a good enough reason for you to pick up the book and become enlightened and encouraged by the voices of men speaking powerfully and movingly about the value of women in the workplace.

Dame Dr Ann Limb DBE CBE DL FRSA FGLI FCFE Chair, The UK Innovation Corridor

This is another wonderful book by Susan Popoola.

The author has the rare ability and unique quality to help people through her books that are insightful, human and thoughtful.
For women who try to navigate the world of business, facing many challenges, we continue to internally call our right to be at the table into question. Reading accounts from men from a wide range of backgrounds and age groups, is so helpful. It shows us as women that we can choose who we wish to be for, and within the world, and change our perspective on how we think the workplace operates. This is a really great read for young women particularly who are just starting out on their careers, and give them the insight and confidence to be successful.

Kathi Scott, Executive Director of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund UK

A really interesting and important book

This was an excellent read and a book I have already shared. An excellent concept carried out well and genuinely educational. Highly recommended.
David, D’Souza, Membership Director, Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development

Impressions on Male Perspectives on THE VALUE OF WOMEN AT WORK

It has been a while since I read a book that so thoroughly spoke to me in my role as a working woman. With Male Perspectives on THE VALUE OF WOMEN AT WORK, Susan Popoola has done a great service to both genders, especially women, and the organizations in which they work. Boards, CEOs, Managers, and Human Resources officers will do well to digest the contents of this book and create road maps to appropriately diversify their ranks and get the best value out of their female staff in a way that does not exclude the males.

The easy language and the reporting style adopted by Ms. Popoola and the fact that the book is a collection of personal insights make each entry relatable and arrest the reader’s attention immediately. As a CEO with my own war stories, I was particularly drawn to a number of the insights. In A Board Level View – Push, Thomas Power comes through as someone who understands the issues and treats them with the appropriate contextualization and nuance. As a mother of a son, I totally agree with his view that for “men to better understand women, mothers need to teach their sons more about women when they are little.” I have that line underlined in my copy of the book and I wonder whether I have done a good enough job with my son to ensure that he brings that understanding with him when he starts working. Mr. Power’s views on Pushing as reported on pages 47 and 48 also resonated as true from my personal experience and anecdotal evidence available to me. In Valuing Good People, James Barrington-Brown’s advice for navigating the work environment on page 98 is sound advice that every female worker can use as a guiding mantra. Most of the insights also had a word of advice for younger women. This is very salutary for a book of this nature. I found Joshua Isaac Smith’s admonition in addressing Young Females on page 116 very succinct and powerful.

On the whole, one of the joys of reading this book is that one gets a front row view into enlightened male perspectives on how women are viewed at work. As Ms. Popoola appears to acknowledge in the Prologue, none of the participating men claim to be laying down the ordained path for female success in the workplace. None claim to be right and, indeed, some insights may not sit well with many. But that is all well and good because this is not a topic on which there is a right or a wrong and that comes through as none of the perspectives is in full agreement with the other. The real value of the book then, to my mind, is that the different perspectives shared give every reader, particularly working women, a rich buffet to choose from, reject, emulate, use, work on, as they will for moving forward. And, therein lies the power in this book.

Finally, with all the doom and gloom around the world, the positivity in each story was comforting. The issue of female value is such a delicate one and it has caused heartache and pain to many. Yet, Ms. Popoola manages to leave the reader with a positive impression and hope for the future. This is as much a testament to her excellent storytelling skills as it is to the good intentions of the males whose perspectives she shares in the book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and thank Ms. Popoola for this timely addition to gender discourse in the workplace. I recommend it without reservation.

Tinuade Awe,
Chief Executive Officer, NGX Regulation Limited