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Speak up and be heard
"Communication skills are the most important decisive factor in choosing managers"
Most of the wealthiest and most powerful people in the world are extremely good communicators. The ability to influence other people to get them to agree with you, or to do what you want them to do, has an enormous impact on your chances of success in employment and in business, as well as your social life. In fact it impacts heavily on every aspect of your life.
A survey of recruiters from companies with more than 50,000 employees in the US, conducted by the University of Pittsburgh's Katz Business School, found that communication skills were regarded as the single most important decisive factor in choosing managers. The survey also pointed out that communication skills, including written and oral presentations, as well as the ability to work with others, were considered the main factors contributing to successful job performance According to this Forbes Leadership article, it is simply impossible to become a great leader without being a great communicator. Say no more.
Don't make your children be "seen and not heard". While you do not want them to be continually interrupting adult conversations as soon as they can speak, there is nothing wrong with them being able to sit and listen, ask a few questions and even occasionally have something to say, as a preparation phase for being involved in these conversations when they are older. Teach them also that a good communicator also has to be a good listener. This can be a good starting point for them.
Buy a cordless microphone and encourage them to sing or put on a performance. This should be a fun activity. Let them grow up believing that getting up in front of people and putting on a performance is a fun activity, not something to be afraid of. The first house we lived in had a big open fireplace with a hearth about four metres wide that served as a stage for the performances that my daughter and son put on whenever we hosted a family function.
“Listen earnestly to anything your children want to tell you, no matter what. If you don't listen eagerly to the little stuff when they are little, they won't tell you the big stuff when they are big, because to them all of it has always been big stuff.” ― Catherine M. Wallace.
There is a ton of good advice for parents about talking and listening to your children at this website here.
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