School? It’s just an easy holding pen for kids and it has nothing to do with the real world. Life starts when you get a “proper” job. Sadly, that is how lots of adults view their time in education. Yes, there are differences between university and a fast-paced work environment, but it doesn’t mean learning is obsolete. On the contrary, there are lots of life lessons which stick with people from their first day of nursery school to retirement.
Here are the skills you developed in school which will help create a successful business.
You’re late! The three words every student dreaded and still dread to hear. There is nothing worse than being told off because you woke up late or the bus broke down. Why? It’s because the teacher always made an example of the late attendees and it was embarrassing. Well, it’s good that they did, even if you didn’t think so at the time because punctuality is a prerequisite for businessmen and women. If you are late to a meeting, the client will cancel. If you don’t deliver promises on time, they will take their business elsewhere. By being prompt, you give the company the best opportunity to develop a healthy reputation which generates leads.
Quest For Knowledge
So, you don’t think you liked school? Don’t you think it had an impact on your desire to learn? The ages of 11 to 18 may not have been perfect, but that doesn’t mean school was all bad. Today, there will be topics which get your creative juices flowing and encourage you to learn. And, that is a remnant of your education. The best business people from around the world continue to read and study to this day. From studying Masters of Marketing online to reading a business book, they realise knowledge is power. You just have to find a way to channel it into something enjoyable.
Interacting With Power People
There was a hierarchy at school: the teachers at the top and everyone else underneath. As such, students had to find creative ways to debate and question the methods of the men and women in charge. It might have been a funny quip or pointing out hypocrisies, but students found a way to interact. There is no better experience for a business person to have because the balance of power is seemingly in the hands of customers and clients. However, you need to nudge them in the right direction to get the best results, and you can do this with words that gently manipulate.
Maybe Microsoft didn’t exist when you were at school, but presentations have been around for years. Nowadays, they are mandatory for students, employees and employers alike. For the people who are familiar with public speaking, this isn’t a problem because they understand the basics. The rest struggle because it’s an art which requires practice. Even though it was a classroom full of friends, you can draw on that experience the next time you address a crowd.
See, your your schools days weren’t so bad after all!
By StFX (StFX) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons