Women are achieving equality in professional service firms by many metrics, but they continue to trail their male counterparts in making it to the very top leadership positions. While the public conversations have largely focused on women's concerns about work-life balance and their hesitation to lean in for opportunities, research demonstrates that the ability to develop business is a greater obstacle for women's success than any other reason.
While most firms actively tout an active commitment to advancing women at all levels, they also adhere tightly to the use of traditional business development strategies, strategies that are unequivocally failing to capture the strengths of talented women in these firms.
Through original research, detailed in the book, Dr. Reeves illustrates how women often are more successful in certain aspects of business development (networking, establishing relationships, delivering excellence in client service), but firms primarily reward closing the sale and getting the credit for the sale--two areas where women are less successful using traditional business development techniques. Dr. Reeves explains why most women (and also most men) fall prey to this flawed traditional business development approach and offers a series of alternative approaches that professional women (andmen) as well as the firms in which they work should use instead.
Dr. Reeves's groundbreaking research and innovative solutions will revolutionize business development for women (and most men), and propel women into the leadership roles which have evaded them in the past.
Praise for Arin Reeves and One Size Never Fits All
"Dr. Reeves brings great clarity and depth to the challenges that exist for women in developing business for professional services firms. She has introduced a solid road map for navigating these obstacles for female (and male) professionals, and she introduces a new way of thinking for Firm leadership. Firms that employ these new ideas can create cultures that attract the best talent and create platforms for different profiles to be successful in developing new business."
Lori Stanovich Tucker, Senior Manager, Business Development, Deloitte Financial Advisory Services
"Dr. Reeves has proven herself as a pioneer on advancing women in the workplace. She has shifted the conversation beyond recruiting and retaining women to focus on understanding how the one model fits all approach to business development should change to help drive gender equality in professional services firms. I see her book as a blueprint for women (and men) to better understand, define and create new business development strategies for themselves and their organizations. One Size Never Fits All is an must-read for women in advertising."
Debbi Vandeven, Global Chief Creative Officer, VML
"This is the book for firms that want to develop more business. This is the book for women who are frustrated and tired of wearing someone else's shoes as they try to develop business. And, this is the book for men who want to understand why the women who read this book and implement the strategies are climbing to the top of the compensation and leadership positions (i.e., money and power)."
Catherine Lamboley, General Counsel (retired), Shell Oil Company and Leader-in Residence, Center for Women in Law, University of Texas Law School
"This book offers women and companies the first practical guide of its kind to bringing talent off the sidelines, and its lessons on team approaches to business development extend well beyond women and professional services."
Anita Antenucci, Senior Managing Director, Houlihan Lokey