The concept of future-proofing our children for resilience to ensure they survive and thrive in the future world of work is the focus of many of today’s parents. However, many of the lessons and principles are equally applicable to those currently in the midst of their careers.
Graeme Codrington, author, researcher and expert on the future world of work and human potential, and parenting thought leader, Nikki Bush, told a recent GIBS Forum the world is in need of a sense of optimism and possibility: “We must go beyond the fear and the danger of the world we live in. The goal now is a child who is independent, resourceful and resilient; a child who can grow up to be the best version of who they can be. This requires developing their skills and their character,” Codrington said.
In the recently launched version of their revised and updated best-selling book, Future-proof Your Child, Codrington and Bush detail a number of the characteristics that individuals can develop in their children, and themselves, to achieve relevance and growth in a constantly changing world.
The most important of these, Bush explained, is flexibility: “Kids are being brought up in a world of no guarantees and they have to be flexible. Life doesn’t unfold in a straight line, or from A-Z anymore, and that is normal. We all need broader options.”
