• If I’m not busy every second of every day, it seems that I’m not working hard enough. 
• Maybe having a fulfilling personal life is incompatible with a successful career.  
• I feel like an emotional cafeteria, responding to what others want. 
• I feel responsible for everything but have no power to change anything. 

For over twenty-five years Ellen Daniell had a forum to voice and discuss concerns like these: She was part of a problem-solving group with six other successful female professionals, known simply as “Group,” which aimed at empowering its members by providing practical and emotional support to cope with the stress and isolation of professional life. Daniell tells the story of Group in her book Every Other Thursday: Stories and Strategies from Successful Women Scientists.

“The objective of Group,” Daniell writes in the preface,

is cooperation in the competitive world. Group members seek both practical solutions for specific problems (such as dealing with a difficult boss or employee) and broader perspective on our lives. Group helps counter the all-too-common experience of professional life as a combat zone in which nobody seems to be on your side. (The phrase “swimming with sharks” is often used to describe life in the business, legal, and academic worlds.) Anyone who feels isolated in a professional or competitive setting or who wants honest feedback can benefit from a group, a safe testing ground where everyone is on your side.

Each of the high-achieving individuals in Group (including members of the National Academy of Sciences, a senior scientist at a prestigious research institute, and university professors and administrators) has found the support of the others to be an essential part of her own success. Daniell provides detailed examples of how members help one another navigate career setbacks or other difficulties. She shows that group support, discussion, and application of common experience bring to light practical solutions and broader perspectives. In an inspirational conclusion, Daniell offers advice and practical guidelines for those who would like to establish a group of their own.

Read an excerpt from the book (pdf file).

Read a feature on the book in the Connecticut Post.