The Broad Experience

The way women communicate is getting a lot of scrutiny these days: from upspeak and vocal fry to indirect emails and over-apologizing, we're being urged to change our ways. In this show we look at whether the way women use language - especially at work - is our problem, or society's.

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It's the end of the year - a time when a lot of us think about changing our lives in one way or another. In this show we talk to two traditionally successful women who left their old work lives for the unknown. But jumping meant leaving their identities behind as well as their paychecks.

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Study after study shows women have less confidence than men. But you hardly need a study to work that out. Just look around you - how many women do you know who exude the same self-belief as the men in your life? Confidence, or the lack of it, is a big issue in many women's careers, including my own. In this show I talk to business owner Denise Barreto, whose confidence I envy, and NPR reporter Stacey Vanek Smith, who shares a lot of my hangups. She has to psych herself up to ask for things at work, because she's not quite sure she deserves it.

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The income gap between women is widening fast as well paid, highly educated women outsource traditionally female tasks to women who earn far less, and have little job security. First I talk to Alison Wolf, a professor and a labor market expert. Then we spend the rest of the show with Jennifer Bernard, a Trinidad-born, New York-based nanny. We hear about the unequal work environment that is the home, how she began to gain confidence on the job, and what makes her feel successful.

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Our appearance affects the way others see us, whether we like it or not (hello, Hillary Clinton). Most successful women spend a lot of time thinking about the image they present to the outside world. But how you 'should' look in a professional setting can depend on where you work. And while there's endless emphasis on women's appearance, men have to think about this too. The power of image runs deep.

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Every month for much of their lives, women go through something at work that men do not. In this show we delve into the intersection of menstruation and work. The workplace is becoming ever more female, yet women are largely still fitting into a structure designed by men, for men - and that means dealing with both periods and menopause in whispers.

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In this show we look at the merits a single-sex education and what that does for you as you enter the workplace. America still has more than 40 women's colleges, and many of them are thriving. So does being educated among other women mean you have a better or worse experience when you get into a workplace designed by men, for men? Featuring Barnard president Debora Spar along with three women's college graduates.

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It's a cliché but it's true: many women dislike working with other women. They claim female bosses and colleagues undermine them, talk behind their backs, and generally make them miserable.But what if you're part of the problem?In this show we delve into the dynamics of female relationships, why they can be so antagonistic, and how to redress the balance.

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Last year I released a show on authenticity at the office - how authentic, really, can women be at work, I asked? It depends on the place, but for many women the answer is 'not very.' That said, the conversations on that podcast revolved around being too big a personality for your workplace, which was the only point of view I'd considered. A few months later I met a friend for dinner. She mentioned how awkward she felt at her office because she was an introvert in a sea of extroverts. This show looks at the introvert's side of life in the modern workplace - how to adapt to extrovert expectations, and when to accept you don't fit in.

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In this show I talk to author and journalist Laura Vanderkam about women and time management. Her latest book is 'I Know How She Does It - How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time.' Laura says many of us buy into a negative storyline about what's (im)possible as a worker and a parent. She argues there are ways to have a senior job and a family and not lose your mind - you just have to think creatively.

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