Having your children work together

For the weekend, I have set a task for my son and daughter, to form a presentation of 'What things to consider when starting an online business'.

I always try to work on their mindset and confidence, so they thrive in the real-world, independently.

I said: "I am the Stakeholder and we need a Project Manager to lead this task".

My son: "I will be the project manager for this task (showing his dominance)".

Me: "Okay, let's do it! I want you both to present it to me in the end."

A subtle question and tip to my son, "what is your sister brilliant at?" My son, "she's good at art and writing".

Me: "Use her strengths when designing the presentation, but learn to work as a team, and most importantly, in life, you have to value everyone's opinion. Finally, go to a place in the house where you naturally feel in your zone, as this helps with researching and brainstorming ideas".

I have now jumped on LinkedIn to write a post, its been 5 minutes, it is quiet in the house, and I am thinking that everything is going well. Suddenly, I hear shouting and my daughter comes running downstairs to say that my son is not listening to my daughter. My son comes running downstairs to say, she is not listening to me.

So here is what the fight was over. My daughter said: "we need a written plan before we start the project". My son: "it's in my head and I know what I am doing".

Me: "Guys, sit beside me and I will share a story with you. There was this very talented project manager, who use to work with me, he was one of the best in the market. Unfortunately, he got sacked, as he was never listening to his team and the project was late; costing the company a lot of time and money. Son, as a project manager, you will always get the blame, not the team, so learn to listen to people in your team".

I went on to say, this project manager had lost his trust from the team, so the team was deliberately not performing, which cost him his job.

My son: "she is such a snitch!"

Me: "She is not a snitch, she is equally passionate to make this project a success. However, this is what happens in the real world though, so learn to win people's trust and try not to clash with them. If your team is seeing you clash with team members, then you are instantly losing that connection, and behind your back, they will be speaking about you to the stakeholders - so be mindful of that, and value their opinions".

Me: "For argument's sake, let's agree that your ideas are in your head. When running a large team, how are you going to articulate it across to everyone?" The penny dropped with him as he starts to smile.

Me: "Off you go and work on a written plan of action before starting the presentation and plan your task".

Things are going very well so far and they are bouncing off each other. After an hour, I went to check up on things and they had hand-written notes and a plan of action.

The cover image for this article is a PowerPoint slide they had designed themselves - very impressive, right?

Regardless of what they have written in the PowerPoint, I am so proud of them for making an attempt.

People around you just need a platform and small guidance for growth and being better at what they do. The results are amazing in the end. Learn to inspire and encourage them and you will see them shine.

If you have children, give them a small task and ask them to present it to you on a PowerPoint. Finally, get them to discuss the points they have covered, which will improve their confidence and public speaking skills. Try it, please, and it's good fun as well.

Guide your children at a young age, as it helps to maintain a positive connection with them and it will build their confidence. You are their role model!

You do not have to be a millionaire to share advice, tips, or wisdom. Use your life experience, which will help them to grow, be confident, have them asking questions, allow them to take risks, and one day they will become world-class leaders!