Storytelling

Kids learn by what we tell them and how we act. They also learn from the types of stories and examples we tell them.

This lesson is reinforced every time we tour students and high school teachers. They want to see how the lessons from school apply to the real world. Similar awakenings happen when I teach Junior Achievement classes, especially the 7th and 8th grade math classes: "All the things that Mrs. Smith is teaching you: you will have to remember how to use it no matter what you do in life." Real world examples using the math principles are used.

Another example of this principle: look at many news articles that talk about important global or national concepts because they often start with a personal perspective by sharing a person's story.

So what do your kids learn from you when you talk about work? What stories do you tell them, or do they overhear when you talk to others about work? Are they learning that work is a necessary evil, something fun or in between? What do they learn is important in the world of work: putting in time, getting results no matter what it takes? What do you pass along as the way to get hired: companies only want your body, not your brain; companies want your creativity and skills?

Often the answers to those questions might be found in the "legends" that the company long-timers tell. Have you learned those lessons yourself? If not, take them to heart. Stories often appeal to the head and the heart. If so, be sure to pass them onto the next generation of new employees or the kids in your life.