Bridging the Gap: How Parenting Impacts Career Success

I have read countless articles and books on how to succeed in business. Business authors and think tanks all claim programs or systems or philosophies that will produce the successes that everybody wants in the workplace.

The Business Landscape and Challenges

But I have also spoken to a great number of CEOs and other corporate managers, and they keep saying one thing over and over: Regardless of the business philosophy they employ, They can’t find enough WORKERS who are adequately prepared for the workplace. They can’t find people who believe simply in working hard.

Workforce Crisis: Then vs Now

These widespread impressions of management are borne out by statistics, which show young adult unemployment in this country at a level double that of 25 years ago. I remember what 25 years ago was like. People would chuckle at the notion of the 30-year-old man who was living in his mother’s basement, playing video games. Nobody finds that a crazy idea now. It’s common.

The Changing Attitude of Young Workers

So, What are CEOs finding instead of willing and capable workers? They’re finding potential employees who:

• Want to know all about their vacations days
• Feel entitled to work from home, rather than asking what would be best for the company
• Demand recognition for the smallest accomplishments—you know, just doing their job
• Are quick to be demanding or offended
• Are unwilling to put in extra hours or effort for the occasions that inevitably arise where such extra effort is necessary.
• Have limited communication skills in person

These CEOs are not looking for work slaves. No, just employees who are dedicated, who are willing to give the company a value at least that of the compensation they receive.

The Role of Parents in Developing Workforce Competence

And where will these young workers acquire this willingness, this work ethic, this lack of entitlement, these communications skills? School? No, that’s not the job of educators.

If kids don’t get these qualities at HOME—from their parents—they’re very unlikely to ever get them. Without these personal qualities being taught at home, these kids don’t do well in school, and they don’t find jobs that lead to advancement and diversification in their careers. They come to a halt, underemployed and incapable of doing anything about it. Emotional preparedness is strongly correlated with success at work and everywhere else. 

The Far-Reaching Effects of Good Parenting

What YOU teach your children right now, whether they’re 12 months old or 16 years old, will determine their success in their adult lives more than any other factor—by far. And I’m not just talking about career success. Children who are taught to be responsible, and to be loving, experience FAR greater success in their personal happiness, their relationships, their parenting, and everything else.

The greatest single thing you will ever do in life is to surround your child with unconditional love, after which you can teach all the other qualities and skills I’ve talked about.

As usual, it’s all about unconditional love. With children, it’s all about the parents.

Learn how to be a parent who loves and teaches at RealLoveParents.com.