A Path

- The Methodical Approach for Parenting and Management

I am pleased to complete this trilogy on parenting as my son David Arthur Thomas prepares to begin his studies as a member of the Johns Hopkins University Class of 2024. David is among the 682 students offered early admissions to Johns Hopkins on Dec. 13, 2019. Looking back to his first national tryout for USA Baseball in 2014, back to the ups and downs of his high school career, and up to the moment he hit a home run during his first at bat on Babb Field at Stromberg Stadium, I see that David has been on a path leading to his college admission, a path that extends from college to career. Aren’t we all building our careers based upon paths we observe here on LinkedIn and beyond?  

At DMAI, Inc., where we develop cognitive artificial intelligence (AI) to lift humanity, we think a good deal about how people learn, and for the past six months, we’ve been working on an eBook I’d like to share with you, which may be downloaded here https://dm.ai/ebook/. We've also produced an exclusive interview with Prof. David Mumford that provides great insights into artificial intelligence.

How does cognitive artificial intelligence relate to parenting and team management? It all begins with learning and education. The team at DMAI launched our first parenting product Animal Island Learning Adventure (AILA) Sit & Play by applying cognitive AI to early childhood education, ushering in an evolution. We are a tech company interested in designing tools that help people succeed academically, socially, and emotionally, tools that can empower educators and healthcare professionals to transform the lives of those they serve.

I believe the future of artificial intelligence will benefit all of us by providing the steady hands necessary to support us on our varied paths from school to career. I believe there is a methodical approach for parenting and management that requires developing a path that supports the growth of each individual. Enhanced by the exponential growth of information and technologies, this approach prevents us from resorting to scandalous admissions practices by providing access to a level playing field within a landscape that seems rooted in inequality fostered by disparities of wealth and privilege. 

By no surprise, David is thrilled to go to Johns Hopkins, even though his dream school, at the start, was Stanford, and he attempted to be recruited by Yale, Dartmouth, and other Ivy League institutions along the way. David’s decision to attend Johns Hopkins is mutual, as he saw himself thriving under the guidance of the coaches at Johns Hopkins, and his coaches have great faith in him. While the coaching staff was confident in his baseball ability, David still had to score 34 (out of 36) on his ACT examination to secure his candidacy. Through consistent feedback and attentiveness, the path, with all its twists and turns, can be rewarding, regardless of unexpected difficulties.

As a mother, I often wondered what I could have done better, and my heart ached so many times throughout the process. We all have biological constraints and emotional biases, which offer opportunities for A.I. to help us stay on our paths to accomplish our goals. I blamed myself for decisions I couldn’t remedy, and there were times when my son, like any other teenager, found himself in vulnerable situations, which were exacerbated by his attending a boarding high school three thousand miles from home. 

To those parents and career professionals who may benefit from what I’ve learned, I’d like to offer here are my thoughts for the New Year 2020 and for the new decade ahead:   

1. Start with faith not fear.  Without exception, optimism exists and persists in a good parent and a great leader. Being attentive, supportive, and responsive are qualities that bring out the best behavior in others, especially our children and team members. In today’s world of exploding digital technologies, people can be overwhelmed by constant connectivity, inbound information, and unfiltered content. We also have the general fear of losing jobs and opportunities to competing immigrants and robots. Therefore, more than ever, we as parents and leaders have to act with faith in our society and keep everyone on a path, equipped with the understanding that humanity has evolved over thousands of years, and we now have more resources, more information, and more technologies than ever before to solve the world's greatest challenges, including climate change, inequality, aging populations, and more. Without faith, we’d lose our way and be constantly distracted by depressing news and junk content, all of it junk food devoid of any nourishing good.  
2. Be consistent and clear on what the objectives are and how to achieve them.  While talent can be born and recruited, good performances are derived from strong cultures, deep commitments, and collaborations among family and team. How do we make sure people do what we expect? Self motivation derived from consistent communication is key; and healthy habits are formed over time via causes and effects. To succeed, we have to fearlessly follow the path through its ups and its downs, and we must maintain clear and consistent expectations. 
3. Keep at it because it always takes time and resilience to get anywhere.  I always say that if it’s easy anyone can do it. Attaining success is HARD! And we have to keep at it. My son was recruited early on by many DI colleges, but the whole college-going journey takes time. Coaches wanted to see growth over the course of his high school career. Along the way, David learned that his biggest competitor was himself. Throwing a baseball 87 mph when he was a sophomore set such high expectations for David that he exhausted himself and Ivy League options by his junior year. But David picked himself up and delivered consistently excellent performances by the end of the summer before his senior year, which led him to one of the best DIII colleges in the United States. What he has learned through this journey is resilience that will benefit him for a lifetime. 
4. No matter how much technology we use, build human relationships that lift us up.  Yes, I’ve been in the tech industry for over seventeen years and launched many products that transformed education, productivity, and lifestyles. Nonetheless, I am a firm believer in humanity and fundamental relations that carry us forward through the generations. No matter how busy I’ve been as a full-time career woman, I’ve always devoted time to not only being with my children, but also to spending time with my children and their closest friends. Nurturing trust, bonding, and developing friendships are all like the act of watering plants. Success in any venture always takes a village. While we develop a path and reach our goals, we carry social relations forward as well. What’s more rewarding than being with friends when you need them most, and being with friends when they most  need you? 

Charting and following a path are essential processes that lead to the growth of children and to teams. Being a parent and a manager are pivotal roles as we instill our values into the next generation of learners and leaders by modeling what we have, based upon our experiences and achievements, determined to be effective practices. Each day, in ways great and small, A.I. helps advance human intelligence because with exponential information and technologies, we continue to grow and to thrive. We come to see what’s possible, and we develop the competence and confidence necessary to chart our paths to reach our goals, and to maybe, just maybe, bump up against the stars. 

Happy New Year! I look forward to crossing paths with you on the journey forward.