The acclaimed author of The Price of Motherhood applies the lessons of parenting to the business world, blowing away the myth that the job of raising children is not "real" work. After reading numerous bestselling management books, Ann Crittenden noticed that the advice was shockingly similar to that found in parenting books. After more than one hundred interviews, Ann also discovered that everyone felt the skills they learned as a parent made them better, more effective managers and workers. If You've Raised Kids, You Can Manage Anything illustrates the countless lessons learned from raising a child that are directly applicable to the workplace.

With insight from prominent women in a number of fields, Crittenden discusses how child-rearing:

o Calls for multitasking and sharpens focus in the midst of constant distractions

o Enhances interpersonal skills, including win-win negotiation

o Develops the ability to motivate and empower others

o Requires a keen sense of fair play and integrity

Full of positive, real-life stories and exploring whether corporate culture has begun to recognize the value of parenting, If You've Raised Kids, You Can Manage Anything is a groundbreaking book that validates what working mothers have known all along.

"Crittenden (The Price of Motherhood) offers an engaging look at working mothers and how their parenting skills make them more adept managers. Based on interviews with 100 parents (mostly women) who were the primary caregivers in their family, the book offers an intriguing look at the changing face of American executives. Quoting her subjects directly, Crittenden illustrates how being a parent helps someone be a more creative, if sometimes unconventional, manager. One woman talked about a producer who shouted obscenities at her. The woman did nothing, viewing the behavior as the equivalent of a toddler's temper tantrum, and the producer apologized the next day. Sometimes, parents have added knowledge that has a direct impact on their job. Working parents in any field will readily identify with many of the scenarios discussed in this book by some visible CEOs including CNBC's Pamela Thomas-Graham, Oxygen's Geraldine Laybourne and actress Lindsay Crouse. Crittenden concludes that mothers are everywhere and they're 'slowly changing the work world — its language, its atmosphere, and, more glacially, its norms.' The book's theme is positive and its message inspiring. No doubt, the book will generate buzz because of the subject matter even if there's little startling to be found here. Agent, Katinka Matson. (Aug.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information, Inc.)

With insight from prominent women in a number of fields, Crittenden discusses how child-rearing:
- Calls for multitasking and sharpens focus in the midst of constant distractions
- Enhances interpersonal skills, including win-win negotiation
- Develops the ability to motivate and empower others
- Requires a keen sense of fair play and integrity

Ann Crittenden is an award-winning journalist and the author of three previous books, including The Price of Motherhood, a New York Times Notable Book of 2001. Nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, she has written for Fortune, The New York Times, Newsweek, and many other national publications. She lectures before dozens of diverse organizations each year and is on the board of the International Center for Research on Women.

Contents

Introduction 1

1. Multitasking and the Rise of the Life Manager 15

2. How to Spot a Baby When You See One 43

3. Win &Win Negotiating and the Irrational No! 61

4. The Importance of Listening 75

5. Practicing Patience 93

6. Empathy: The E.Q. Factor 103

7. Appreciating Differences 119

8. Growing Human Capabilities 127

9. Letting Go 137

10. Habits of Integrity 151

11. A Sense of Perspective 165

12. Playing Fair 179

13. The Future Matters 187

14. Where We Stand Now: The Executive Gender Gap 191

15. Hide It or Flaunt It: Is the World Ready for Child-Rearing on a Resume? 201

Postscript: Mothers Are Everywhere and Times Are Changing 227

Appendix 239

Biographies of Interviewees 249

Notes 259

Acknowledgments 273

A Note from the Author 275