All I Need to Know…

It’s back to school time, and, as I’ve mentioned before, I have a bit of a passion for education.  What has become clear to me in reading numerous education blogs and research papers over the past two decades is that children are really just small versions of adults—and, perhaps something we want to admit even less, adults are just larger versions of children. 

What I mean by that is:  We have many of the same basic needs (and wants) – autonomy, a sense of mastery, to feel connected to others, and to have a sense of purpose – and the skills that are useful for children to learn are also useful for adults.  (There is a reason our families taught them to us when we were kids – we need them for the rest of our lives.)  Unfortunately, some adults don’t seem to have learned some of these very important skills – or when to use them…

As my daughter returns to her classes, there are a number of skills I hope her school will reinforce with all their students – skills that we all would do well to use in our daily work with others.  While I assume you already know and use these skills on a regular basis, maybe think about how you can coach your newer, less experienced team members to embrace them as well:

• Personal Accountability

• Healthy Conflict and Conflict Resolution

• Apologizing and Making Things Right

• Relationship Mending

• Being Kind

Over the next few weeks, I will dive into each of these topics and how they apply to the workplace.  I will also share with you ideas on how to strengthen your and your team members’ skills in these areas.  And I hope you will ask questions as they arise.  Because I am confident that if every (work)place operated with these professional skills, the world would truly be a better place.