The Working Dad's Survival Guide

Most fathers today strive both to be successful in their careers and to be loving, involved dads. It sometimes seems like an impossible tug-of-war. But it doesn’t have to be. The Working Dad’s Survival Guide helps dads understand they are not alone, and offers a series of concrete time and life management strategies that enable them to succeed in their careers while alsobeing the present, involved fathers they always wanted to be. Through personal stories and interviews with dozens of working dads, as well as actionable advice and useful self-assessment exercises, Scott Behson will help you feel more confident in succeeding in both parts of your life. Specifically, The Working Dad’s Survival Guide will help dads: Understand that most dads face the same struggles they do. Articulate their career and family priorities through reflection and self-assessment exercises and by reading about other dads’ experiences. Assess their current workplace’s and employer’s attitudes towards work and family. This can lead to a better understanding of ways dads can pursue work-family balance and what barriers may be in their way. Maintain and enhance their work productivity through better prioritization, planning and focus, as well as more efficient time management. Understand how to create, negotiate for, and utilize workplace flexibility. Understand their rights regarding paternity leave. Protect family time from the creeping demands of work. Improve their focus on the most important aspects of parenting, and gain a better understanding of how wives, families and children benefit from present, involved fathers. Carve out “me time” - exercise and social activities - needed to de-stress, renew energy and maintain mental health. Build a support network of other working dads so that they can give and receive friendship, emotional support and tangible help. A portion of the book’s proceeds is donated to A Better Balance, an advocacy organization promoting family-supportive workplace and social policy. This book also features a foreword from Dr. Stewart Friedman, bestselling author of “Total Leadership” and “Leading the Life You Want.”

Scott Behson Scott Behson, PhD, is a professor of management at Fairleigh Dickinson University, a national expert in work and family issues, and was a featured speaker at the recent White House Summit on Working Families. He’s the author of The Working Dad’s Survival Guide: How to Succeed at Work and at Home (Motivational Press), the first book of its kind to provide advice and encouragement for working fathers, helping them to achieve success in their careers while also being the involved, loving dads they always wanted to be. Scott founded and runs the popular blog, “Fathers, Work, and Family,” dedicated to helping working fathers and encouraging more supportive workplaces. He writes regularly for the Harvard Business Review Online, Huffington Post and the Good Men Project, and has also been published in TIME and The Wall Street Journal. Scott has appeared on MSNBC, CBS This Morning, Fox News and Bloomberg Radio, as well as NPR’s Morning Edition, Radio Times and All Things Considered. His work has been featured in such outlets as the Atlantic, Esquire, Inc., The New Republic, MSN Money, Salary.com, Today.com and WiseCareers.com. At the Silberman College of Business at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Scott teaches, conducts research, and provides consulting services in Work-Family Balance and Workplace Flexibility. Scott earned a Ph.D. from the University at Albany, State University of New York and a B.S. from Cornell University. He was named the Silberman College of Business Teacher of the Year for 2010-2011. Scott has published 17 peer-review journal articles, made over 40 presentations at prestigious national and international academic conferences, won six research awards, and is a two-time nominee for the prestigious Rosabeth Moss Kanter Award for Work-Family Research. Scott lives in Nyack, NY with his wife, stage actress Amy Griffin, and son, Nick. Contact him @ScottBehson on Twitter and follow him on Fathers, Work, and Family.