In Play to Win, author Donna Rachelson cuts through the softer issues that are often characteristic of books aimed at women.

There are significant disparities in the way men and women are treated, as well as the way they advance up the corporate ladder:
  • The private sector pay gap in South Africa means that women earn in a full year what men earn in eight months;
  • The percentage of working women in senior management positions in South Africa has been static at 26 and 28% for the last seven years;
  • Only 15% of women are board members; and
  • Only 9% of JSE listed companies have 25% or more women directors.


In this book, Play to Win: What women can learn from men in business, Rachelson (a businesswoman, branding and marketing specialist and well known speaker) gets to grips with ‘the rules’ and shows women how to work in order to advance their careers, while still celebrating the strengths that women often inherently possess in the workplace.

In Rachelson’s third book, she draws on her own experience, published research and the experience of some of South Africa’s top businesswomen. This is a quick and practical read for any woman who wants to make her mark in the business world.

Rachelson explains, “There are many issues which affect working women. I wrote this book to deal with some of these issues. It’s a realistic, empowering and non-patronising approach to help women get ahead. I believe that there’s tremendous power in both understanding ‘the rules’ of business that men play by and combining these with the strengths that women bring to the workplace. When we combine these two aspects, it makes women an extraordinary force in business.”

Rachelson is dedicated to empowering women and is involved in a number of development programmes. She strongly believes that different conversations are needed to bring about real change for women. Her book is results driven and pragmatic, as opposed to the often ‘soft’ approach to developing women which includes aspects like work life balance, image and assertiveness skills.

The book focuses on nine lessons and offers practical tips about how to get noticed, how to take more risks, how to network effectively and how to successfully beat the imposter syndrome.

An example is Lesson #3: Don’t wait to get noticed. Rachelson explains that women have been brought up to believe that it’s more polite to wait to be asked. Women wait to be asked out on a date, they wait to be invited to dance and they wait for someone to ask to marry them. This carries over to the workplace, where women wait to be noticed or to be asked and then they become increasingly frustrated. This is contrast with the rules men play by – they will tell you what they have achieved and ask for what they want. Rachelson recommends updating superiors on progress, claiming work victories first and becoming more visible.

Another example of women being passive in the workplace is when women tend to take a ‘no’ answer at face value. To a man a ‘no’ can be interpreted as ‘maybe’, ‘later’ and maybe even ‘no’ if all possibilities have been exhausted. This understanding can help women become more assertive.

In South Africa, the book is published by Branding & Marketing You Publications and it is available at all fine South African bookstores. The ebook is available on Kindle and iBooks and can be purchased on Amazon or via the Donna Rachelson website.