How do you teach resilience? How about problem-solving and how to deal with failure? These often difficult skills to teach have recently been shown to be taught the most easily through real-world learning such as through hands-on projects. One of the most effective project-based learning tools is entrepreneurship. Here are some of the top reasons why you should consider entrepreneurship as a way to teach your kids some of the most important skills that will help propel them in life.
Communication Skills
Many children struggle to communicate with anyone outside of their friends. Talking to adults usually involves avoiding eye contact and giving short answers. The goal seems to be to get it over with as soon as possible. Entrepreneurship is a great way for children to improve their communication skills. It places the child in a situation in which they will need to deal with all types of people and not just with their peers. They need to work with customers, suppliers, employees, and advisors on a regular basis. This regular interaction helps them develop more confidence when communicating. It also underlines the benefits of being able to communicate well as the child will see direct results from interactions.
To assist with this process, you can have your child watch Youtube videos on how to sell, how to pitch, and consultative selling. Additionally, have them watch videos around effective communication skills, and discuss with them afterwards. Loop in uncles, aunts, friends and family to have them practice their new communication skills on, and ask them for *constructive* feedback.
Ability to Solve Problems
Problem-solving often ranks as one of the most important skills that employers look for. In the National Association of Colleges and Employers annual Job Outlook survey, employers hiring new graduates listed “problem-solving skills” as the top attribute they were looking for. This was rated significantly more important to them than the next most important skills: an ability to work in a team, strong work ethic, analytical skills, communication skills, leadership, initiative, and being detail-oriented!
Problem solvers are in high demand. Always. And the best way to teach your children how to think critically is by identifying something they really want, getting them emotionally and financially vested in its success, and then letting them go! Help them launch their business, have regularly scheduled meetings with them analyzing progress, and support them as they figure out how to get the results they want.
Perseverance
Also described as “grit”, perseverance is the ability to keep going when things are difficult and challenging. It is the ability to delay gratification on the path to success and remain committed to the goal even – and especially – when it gets difficult and obstacles stand in the way. Entrepreneurship teaches children that “success” is never easy, and requires overcoming challenges and roadblocks that almost always come up. Making children understand that they get what they want when they are successful, but that success has to be earned and often they have to fight for it, helps them set their expectations in the future.
“It took me 10 years to be an overnight success” -Big Sean
An important part of entrepreneurship is learning about failure and not fearing it. Get your children used to asking “what can go wrong and how will I deal with it” in their entrepreneurial ventures before they start, and at critical times in their business formation. Getting them used to expecting that things will go wrong but helping them think through the solution gives them the expectation that everything will not be peaches, but also builds their confidence that they will be able to overcome the challenges if they think through them.
Additionally, you can build your children’s resilient spirit whenever things go wrong for them. Ask them to articulate what exactly went wrong, and how it makes them feel. Allow them to express emotion and avoid minimizing their feelings. Then once they finish, summarize the key points they said were the problems, and ask them how they think it’s best to solve each one. Give them ideas and options after they have a few seconds to brainstorm and say their thoughts. When children perceive their emotions are understood, charged emotions fade, and they are then able to focus on what they need to do to deal with or solve the problem.
Entrepreneurship can be a great way to teach some of the most important life lessons that your child will need to be successful. For tips, examples, and ideas for getting your child’s business started, or to find out about youth development events, feel free to reach out to the Royale Cohesive Network team.