Everything I learned in Business
I Learned from My Kids

Matt Stryker Program Director, Worldwide
Performance Marketing Leader IBM Commerce There is so much less to this than you think.My son reminds me that it is the simple moments of engagement that mean the most. The moments when we listen – really listen – and set aside our own bias and experience are the times when we grow and improve. Keep it simple, listen, and open your mind to possibilities – those are the moments when great things can happen.

Jason Eng Digital Marketing Community
Leader IBM, CHQ, Marketing Do things with intention.My boys, ages 2 and 4, always remind me to do things with intention. They verbally remind me that it should be my intention to play with them and have fun.

Daniel Davis Sr. Marketing Manager,
Digital Content & Editorial IBM Commerce, Social and Mobile Learn to see things through others’ eyes.Trying to put myself in my son’s place is a great exercise in empathy as well as in considering things from a new perspective. So many things are still new and confusing and exciting when you’re eight. Stepping into their shoes lets you recapture some of that wonder and opens your eyes to things – possibilities, opportunities, solutions – you might otherwise have missed.

Deepak Advani GM, IBM Commerce
Be respectful – to EVERYONE.My kids have learned over the years to be respectful to everyone they meet, old and young, friends and strangers. From them I’ve learned to respect all my colleagues. I have learned from my kids that it’s best to praise in public and provide constructive feedback in private.

Brian Williams Partner, Strategy and
Analytics IBM Global Business Services Not everyone thinks exactly like you do.One of the best things my kids helped me learn was that not everyone thinks like I do about life, work, everything. As my sons started college, it became clear to me that they “just did it” – they found their own approach to everything and lived their lives the way they wanted. This reminded me that not every client or IBMer that I work with looks at things the way I do. It’s helped me step back and look at some situations differently and see that multiple views on issues, approaches, etc. really do produce better outcomes than just pushing my own thinking.

Seth Marquart Marketing Engagement Leader/Event
Specialist IBM Commerce, Social and Mobile Slow down, pay attention & really listen.Now that my son is starting to articulate his thoughts, he doesn’t always say the most ‘understandable’ things. So in order for me to know what he wants I have to slow things around me down, focus solely on him and listen to what he is trying to say. You can apply that in pretty much any circumstance at work whether you are an employee getting a new task and trying to wrap your head around it or a team lead trying to get feedback from an event that you just organized. Always remember to slow down and actually listen to what’s being said.

Paul Hoffman Commerce Strategist, Always
On Newsroom IBM Commerce, Social and Mobile Believe that you can do great things. When my son was in elementary school, his teacher asked the kids about Thanksgiving in their respective homes. Sam said, “Each year my dad goes up on the roof of our house and gets a turkey and then we eat it.” Children sometimes think of par- ents as superheros, but there’s truth here. Our children don’t see the limitations that we often place on ourselves.

Peter Sharkey VP, Services Excellence,
Global IBM Global Technology Services Same house, same parents, completely different kids.My wife and I raised two daughters. Being just over two years apart in age, they grew up in the same house, environment, with the same parents, even ate the same food. Despite everything being the same, they are complete opposites. From the day they were born, they were different. Their differences quickly taught me a life lesson: people are different and environmental factors don’t change who we are. Observing this with my own children has helped me be a better manager. People have certain traits or skills that come naturally. Some are great sellers. Some are great developers. Some like to be in the spotlight and some like to work behind the scenes. Learning to align people to roles they will excel in not only helps them personally succeed, but also helps with the team’s success.

Mark Babbitt President, SwitchandShift.com CEO
and Founder, YouTern Comfort zones are self-imposed prisons. And we must break out.Each of my five kids has taken on a challenge so outside their comfort zone, I was scared for them. And in each case, they rose above their fears (and mine). Success as other people measured it (first place, first chair, first string) didn’t matter. They taught me that from 5 to 85, we must obliterate our comfort zones and choose to do something amazing.

Brian Fanzo Chief Digital Strategist
and Change Evangelist Don’t overthink mistakes & don’t forget to celebrate the wins.My three daughters always ask simple questions like “why?” and are quick to say “it will be okay.” I think we sometimes forget to step back and realize that mistakes and problems will happen and as long as we celebrate the wins, it will be all worth it in the end.

We at IBM Social Business
& Smarter Workforce wish you many enlightening moments with all of the children in your lives. Children,whether they’re ours or those of friends or relatives or complete strangers, have valuable lessons to teach us about the way we go about our personal and professional lives. From collaborating creatively to creating strengths from each other’s differences to the art of simple listening, the children of some of our IBM and influencer fathers have helped us discover a new way of working. On Father’s Day and every day, we should keep these lessons in mind as we interact with others, seek resolutions to challenges, and try to be our best selves in and out of the workplace. Happy Father ’s Day!