As parents, we all hope that our kids have high IQ and are kick ass smart! 

In an organization, we too want to hire the best, most talented, smartest candidate! 

Yet, it is increasingly obvious (ok, not yet) that being smart is not sufficient (or, I daresay, inadequate) to thrive in a world shifting rapidly to uniqueness, individualism, and wisdom (not just knowledge). 

So, I cringe, when granny calls my daughter "smart" or "clever" when my daughter successfully presses the right floor number in the lift, or in many other occasions where my daughter demonstrates age appropriate abilities. 

Why? Well, emphasizing how smart my daughter is doesn’t give her the right mental framework to learn. By being smart, you believe you already have what it takes to make it in life, and there really isn’t anything more to learn. 

If, however, you tell my daughter that it was great she learnt which floor we live on, or she can finally figure out the remote control herself (GASP!) then that is learning. An indication that there will always be one more thing to learn, if you want to continue to grow.

In an organization, we tend to give casual “good jobs” with a pat on the back to good results. Well, let’s also challenge that with “Great execution, I have seen you did something differently there. What else could we improve on in the next try?” (Yes, yes, it is a mouthful and it does take longer to coach people in this direction.) Yet, I challenge you to do so, because it will give a platform for colleagues to think about what could be better and/or challenge the status quo.

My goal is to bring the growth mindset that learning is never done, I’m not smart, I am just learning new things all the time into my personal life with my kids and my own development. This then naturally extends itself into the work place. 

I hope you will do so too.

#ParentingIsTheNewMBA #SucceedAtWork #CareerTips #ParentingSkills #Leadership

"Parenting is the new MBA: Succeed at work by applying parenting skills” is a column that combines 2 distinct areas of my life: my professional view on workplace management & my personal experience as a parent.