Everything I learned in Business I Learned from My Kids 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. -Matt Stryker Program Director, Worldwide Performance Marketing Leader, IBM Commerce 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. -Jason Eng Digital Marketing Community Leader IBM, CHQ, Marketing 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. -Daniel Davis Sr. Marketing Manager, Digital Content & Editorial IBM Commerce, Social and Mobile 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. -Brian Williams Partner, Strategy and Analytics IBM Global Business Services 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. -Seth Marquart Marketing Engagement Leader/Event Specialist 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 parents as superheros, but there’s truth here. Paul Hoffman Commerce Strategist, Always On Newsroom IBM Commerce, Social and Mobile 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. -Peter Sharkey VP, Services Excellence, Global IBM Global Technology Services 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). -Mark Babbitt President, SwitchandShift.com CEO and Founder, YouTern 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.” -Brian Fanzo Chief Digital Strategist and Change Evangelist 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

1. Everything I learned
in Business
I Learned from
My Kids

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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!