4 Management Skills to Teach at Home

Since we are still in the thick of getting those kiddos back to school, we are continuing on last week’s theme of skills you can teach at home. This week let’s examine some management skills that translate from the boardroom to the living room.

Side Note: If you don’t have little one’s try some of these interesting techniques with your significant other, loved ones or even as activities at the office! 

Executive functioning skills aren’t something that only CEOs are gifted with when they “take office.” In fact, the skills of working memory, flexible thinking & self-control are something we all possess - some, a little more than others.

They are also skills that your kids are developing. Skills that need practice. You can help them work on these skills and make them better leaders in life by working on them at home. Let’s explore how:

Working Memory

Remember those matching games you used to play as a kid? The ones where you flip over a card with, say, a ladybug on it – and have to find its match amongst 20 or so cards? You may not have realized it at the time, but you were practicing a skill called working memory. 

Working memory is required in everyday life to follow multi-step directions and solve simple or complex problems. It’s a crucial skill for workflow management, as you not only need to know what steps are required but the proper order in which to do them to accomplish a goal or finish a project.

At Home: Have your child(ren) bake a simple cookie recipe. Not only will they have to plan out the ingredients, but they’ll have to follow all the steps in the proper order to get the delicious results. 

Bonus: You’ll get to reap the benefits of their accomplishment. 

Flexible Thinking

In this fast-paced world we live in, new information is pummeled at us at a break-neck speed. Somedays, the barrage of emails, texts & DM’s feels like drinking from a firehose. Can I get an amen?!?

To succeed in this environment, flexible thinking is crucial. One must be able to (quickly) interpret a situation accurately, write/speak persuasively and successfully solve problems.

At Home: Play America’s favorite board game: Monopoly. It requires negotiation skills, money-management, persuasive techniques and strategy – all things that require flexible thinking. 

Bonus: Your kids will love the hours of family fun & you can crush everyone with your real estate prowess.

Self-Control

Remember the Jim Carrey movie, Liar Liar? In the movie, Carrey’s character is cursed with telling the truth and suddenly has absolutely no self-control over his mouth. His thoughts (good or bad) literally spill out of him – and often at the most inappropriate moments.

Self-control, whether it’s in what you say or do, is essential. Walk around like Carrey or act inappropriately and you’ll either blow a business deal or get yanked in to HR.

Kids are beautifully, if not brutally, honest. And their actions on a playground often showcase how ill-equipped they are at exhibiting self-control.

At Home: Have your kids practice being still. Encourage them to meditate (yes, meditate!). Read a book silently. Work on a puzzle. Anything that doesn’t require constant sound or motion. 

Bonus: You’ll get some peace and quiet for that well-deserved nap you’ve been meaning to take.

And last, but not least… 

Understanding Different Points of View

Just as no two employees are alike, no two children are either. It’s important to remember that all employees and kiddos are unique individuals – with different experiences, chemical makeups and points-of-view. Each needs guidance, direction and encouragement in different ways. 

Misread the way to interact with an employee and eventually they may quit on you. Do the same with your kids and get ready for some explosive temper tantrums. 

At Home: Teach your children the Platinum Rule – treat others the way THEY want to be treated. Show your kids that you understand this rule by paying attention to how they learn, how they look at the world, and how they process information. Then, when it comes time to provide guidance, offer a personalized approach.  

Bonus: Your kids will learn how to treat others with respect, regardless of their differences and you’ll have a few more proud parenting moments.