Workplace skills learning from Children
Dr. Priya Kalyanasundaram, HOD, SIMS
The child has certain uniqueness which the adult can apply for their career growth. The following are the characteristics of the children.
Impulsiveness:
As often they seem to act first and then think second and this make them to live their every moment to the fullest and this may land in trouble sometimes. We as adults are not spontaneous enough with different roles and age, preserving these impulsiveness character would help us to come out with our true potential allowing us to whatever we do without holding us back.
Fearlessness/ bravery
Kids are not afraid of anything that comes in their way this characteristic can take us a long way in our career even in our professional lives. As an adult we can take risks , try out new things, share our opinions and grow .People who are scared can never develop in their life.
Aspiration to learn
Children are always ready to learn where their aspiration to learn, pick up new skills, behaviors and information. This readiness to learn with complete openness and zero judgment is something that adult should definitely learn from them.
Openness
Children are always open-minded and straightforward they never hold themselves in expressing their opinions about someone. As they have not touched the harsh realities of life they remain innocent at heart speaking with their minds and thoughts without any hesitation .They are often responsible for good and bad lies of adults. This quality is often missing in adults where both employer and employee are often caught in the hustle of work ending up pleasing each other with false.
Spontaneity
Children are unhindered and spontaneous. They often seem to act first and think second and while that does land them in trouble, their unadulterated spontaneity allows them to immerse themselves in all that they do and to live every moment to the fullest. We, as adults, seem to outgrow that spontaneous streak in us as the world demands that we fulfill different roles with age and we feel the need to conform to these set rules. That said, preserving that spontaneous, unhindered inner child in us would help us to tap into our true potential because we would then be able to immerse ourselves in whatever we do without allowing anything to hold us back.
Honesty
Unfiltered, straightforward and open-minded, children never hold themselves back in expressing their opinions and views about someone. In fact, they are often responsible for revealing the good and the bad lies of adults. Not yet touched by the harsh realities of life, children remain innocent at heart, speaking their minds and sharing their thoughts without any hesitation. This quality is often missing in adults, especially in the corporates where both employees and business leaders are often caught in the hustle of work and life, ending up pleasing each other with false truths and leaving their true thoughts hidden. In the race of life, we often tend to leave the innocent child inside of us behind. We should rather hold onto the child in us and let it motivate us to always stay honest and stand our ground. As someone once said, “No legacy is so rich as honesty.”
Carefree attitude
Kids are carefree and they see the world as if nothing is truly catastrophic and hence, they skip chores unattended at times. The happy-go-lucky attitude means much for kids in terms of handling day to day struggles with self-assurance and continue to be happy. By being carefree, they will not allow anything to cause them to become incensed or irritated, even if an occurrence causes problems. The childish approach applies aptly to the future workforce. In a workplace, being carefree is considered a positive value which has productivity implications. It helps employees feel stress-free which in turn helps them add to their day to day productivity.
Confidence
Children, unlike adults, will often take a chance at any activity they are engaged in –Whether that’s performing on the stage, answering a tricky question or playing a sport they haven’t played before. It’s a sense of confidence that’s unadulterated by thoughts about what ‘people’ may say or think. As we grow older, we get more self-conscious, selective and fearful. By acting on these fears, we lower both our self-confidence and self-esteem. If we are to navigate the new world of work, that’s going to be rooted in continuous learning, we may need more of the ‘self-confidence’ that kids teach us to have.
Innovation and creativity
Children have the advantage of not knowing what is not possible. For them, everything is possible and achievable. On the contrary, adults are well versed with what they cannot achieve and what cannot be done. Children are unarguably more innovative and creative than the adults. The statement can be supported by the fact because adults are surrounded by rules, regulations, laws, and compliance. They have experienced rejections, failures, and humiliations. However, children are brave and creative. They value simple idea, try different approaches and do not shy away from executing their thoughts.
Inquisitiveness
If there is one thing we must learn and adapt from children right away, it is the quality of inquisitiveness. Children are inherently curious about everything, exploring their surroundings, wanting to know the answers to questions they can’t even fathom, and figure out stuff they are still not old enough to understand. In today’s ever-changing work scenarios, inquisitiveness is something which every employee needs to imbibe in order to keep learning about the new technologies and changes coming their way and stay relevant. If one is not inquisitive, she/he runs the risk of being side-lined and becoming outdated in this dynamically changing world.
Energy
Children are a powerhouse of energy. In your office, you might find that the ones who are the most enthusiastic about work, get the most work done. Children are able to run around, participate in activities both in school and extracurricular! As adults, it is easy to develop a one-track mind. However, say hello to the ever ready and energy-filled child inside you and perform beyond expectations in your workplace. So let’s imbibe the best qualities of the young ones at work and let’s promise ourselves to never let the child in us die!.
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