Before I became a parent coach, I spent 30+ years in corporate America. I worked my way up from employee to manager to director and during that time, I had the privilege of attending numerous leadership training classes and retreats, all designed to help me build stronger and more effective teams.
Today I coach many moms and dads who go to an office every day and work hard at building strong work teams and contributing to the company’s bottom line. Most of them are incredibly successful, but when they get home to their families, they seem to leave what they learned there, at the door. To help them use those same success-driven skills at home, let me offer five leadership skills that adults learn at work, that they can use at home as parents.
MAKE THEM FEEL IMPORTANT AND VALUABLE.Companies have learned that the more engagement they create for their employees, the greater the productivity they get from their staff. That engagement comes in the form of helping your staff feel important and valuable. Parents can help their kids feel more important and valuable to the family by allowing them turns at leading the family meeting, having them teach the parents something they do well, having a say in family plans, and even taking turns at preparing the family meal.
KEEP THEM INFORMED. The more my managers told me about the company’s intentions and plans, the more I really felt like I was a part of the team. Share age-appropriate information with your children about family plans for home improvement projects, vacation plans, or what’s happening with extended family members. Share this kind of information at a weekly or bi-monthly family meeting.
BE A GREAT COACH.Your boss probably doesn’t walk into your office and write your reports or set up your appointments, so why should you do for your children what they should do for themselves. Unfortunately, too many parents do too much for their children because it’s just easier to do it for them. Teach your children how to do things for themselves and step back. Coach them for top performance as you would at the office.
LEAD BY EXAMPLE.Some of the best bosses I ever had, demonstrated more through their actions than their words. If you want your children to learn how to treat others and develop relationships, examine how you demonstrate how to do that with others in front of them. If you want your children to play more, create more, and enjoy life without technology more, examine how you’re teaching them this core value by the amount technology you use.
CREATE CLEARN EXPECTATIONS.I valued the performance evaluations I received at work that clearly laid out the expectations of my role. Ask yourself “What expectations are you setting for your children?” Do you talk about positive behaviors at family meetings or point them out as soon as you see them happen, or do you point out to your children what they do wrong more often?
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