Management Techniques I Learned from My Kids

I’m not one of those parents who think their kids are flawless. In fact, my children give me a run for my money every day and present me with new challenges as a parent. 

Just as my kids aren’t perfect, neither are my parenting skills; but since it is my number one job, I thought I would take some of my at-home management techniques and apply them to the office. After all, what parent hasn’t had to deal with issues like sharing, temper tantrums and rivalry? These childhood challenges are surprisingly similar to some of the conflicts we see in the workplace.

Sharing

Whether it’s sharing ideas or sharing resources across multiple corporate offices, sometimes it can lead to workplace disputes. This is what I do at home with my boys to encourage them to share, and it seems to work pretty well in the office, too:

• Remind your employees about the importance of responsible spending. Now more than ever, conversations in the business world revolve around return on investment. If you can show the impact that a purchase will have on your business and how the resource will be shared across the enterprise, there’s a better chance of it being approved. In other words: If you really want it, share it.

• Reward for good behavior. We all like receiving positive feedback. At home, my kids might get a sweet dessert or treat if they’ve shown good choices and shared something that I know was hard for them to share. Employing this same tactic at work allows you to reward team work, idea generation, and cross-collaboration during staff meetings. Praising someone in front of their peers is very effective.

Outbursts

We’re only human, so there are times when an employee might react—or overreact—to a situation. Here’s what I’ve learned as a mom that helps me resolve the occasional outburst in the office.

• Let employees express their frustration. Usually adults don’t throw themselves on the floor and kick and scream, but some of us do pout when we don’t get our way. I’ve learned that the best thing to do is to let the employee vent—in a professional and appropriate manner, of course.  Let them get it off their chest, then revisit it with them once they’ve settled down. Sometimes all they want is to be heard. 

• Give employees a chance to collect their thoughts. If employees are upset about something, suggest that they take a walk or an early lunch to get them out of the office and allow them time to settle down. If it’s close to the end of the day, why not let them head out early? With time and a little space, they might realize they could have handled things differently. 

Rivalry

There is nothing wrong with wanting to be the best, so long as you don’t take someone down along the way. As the head of a household, I work hard to make sure my kids support each other. I encourage  my children’s strengths and teach them to draw from others’ strengths to improve their weaknesses. I also remind them that they don’t have to feel threatened if one brother is better at something than the other. Of course, this is done in a manner that is easy for a four-year-old and an eight-year-old to understand, but  similar methods can be used with employees who are having a hard time working together.

• Give them one-on-one time. Like kids, employees also need some one-on-one time. Schedule status meetings with each employee so they have the time to communicate concerns and share their accomplishments for the week.

• Show your appreciation. With today’s economy, employees never know if there are going to be layoffs or if a newly hired team member could be their replacement. As managers, it’s our job to alleviate the fear by making sure everyone knows they are a valued and important member of the group. Team-building activities that focus on each other’s strengths and how they all fit together to make a stronger unit can also help with this type of conflict.

About the Author: This article was written by Michelle Keyser, Regional Marketing Manager for Rasmussen College. In this role, she oversees marketing efforts for Rasmussen College Online and the Florida college campuses.