raising the adults of 2030

Alan Hosking is the editor of HR Future magazine and author of What Nobody Tells A New

Father. He says he regularly sees young people enter the workforce who are “handicapped by their upbringing”. His tips for raising adults who can function successfully and happily in the 2030s are to teach your child to:

1 MAKE DECISIONS “Thinking for yourself is not something you can learn in your twenties,” says Alan. “Allow your child to make age appropriate decisions regularly, so that he or she becomes a comfortable decision maker.” In a world with an overwhelming number of choices, this skill is crucial.

2 DEAL WITH CHANGE “Parents need to lead by example on this one,” says Alan. “Demonstrate adaptability (you may need to develop this skill yourself first). Say to your child, ‘Oops, things have changed. Let’s change our plan in response.’”

3 ACCEPT PEOPLE FOR WHO THEY ARE “South Africans are considered good at this in the workplace because we come from a multicultural society,” says Alan. Developing this skill means respecting differences, not needing to force people to be like you; and it starts with accepting yourself, with your unique range of skills, traits and experiences. It’s crucial to learn this in the increasingly complex cultural environment of globalisation, says Alan.

4 COPE IN GROUP SETTINGS “So many interpersonal skills, negotiation skills, and observation of group dynamics, happen at the supper table,” Alan says. Therefore, he advises you all eat together as often as you can.

5 LAUGH AT THEMSELVES A sense of humour – for laughing with and at yourself and others – demonstrates an acceptance that you will make mistakes. It’s been an essential skill in the past, and will remain so. Accepting, with humour, that learning can take time and be difficult is extra useful in a future where we constantly have to learn new skills.

6 HAVE A SENSE OF SECURITY Technology means we can have entire relationships with people without knowing what they look like or what their voices sound like. “The technological world is not tactile,” says Alan, “and it’s a problem because of the risk of skin hunger. In extreme cases touch-deprived infants die. So make sure to touch your kids. Children who have experienced loving touch are more likely to grow up to be secure adults.”