Motivating adolescents to reach their full potential is one of the key elements of the longevity of a family business and successful wealth transfer. Parents play a crucial role in this process by fostering a safe environment that values learning, growth, and personal development. This safe environment explicitly includes the ability to make (and learn from) mistakes. This article explores practical strategies parents can employ to help adolescent Family Council members unfold their potential and reach their goals.

Stimulus-Driven vs. Goal-Driven Attention

Research by Ernst et al. (2011) highlights the importance of understanding the balance between stimulus-driven and goal-driven attention in adolescents. Teenagers tend to favor stimulus-driven attention, which is more responsive to immediate and external stimuli, over goal-driven attention, which is oriented towards long-term goals. This propensity can influence their behavior, making them more impulsive and novelty-seeking​​.

The research also suggests that adolescents form stronger associations between environmental cues and appetitive (rewarding) stimuli than with aversive (punishing) stimuli. This bias facilitates impulsive and risk-taking behaviors that are typical of adolescence.

Understanding these dynamics can help parents tailor their motivational strategies to better align with their teenager’s cognitive and emotional development​​. Teenagers need help breaking down larger, long-term goals into smaller actions that provide immediate stimulus and rewards. They also need a framework that provides space for accountability while avoiding a fear-based approach to motivation.

The 5 C’s Framework

In our previous piece, “Fostering Entrepreneurial Spirit in the Next Generation” we’ve already introduced the 5 C’s framework shortly. Adapted from Sullivan’s 4 C’s, provides a structured approach to developing an entrepreneurial mindset and encouraging continuous learning and improvement:

  1. Curiosity: Sparks involvement and innovation.
  2. Commitment: Promotes personal responsibility and accountability.
  3. Courage: Encourages perseverance despite challenges.
  4. Capability: Enhances skills and knowledge.
  5. Confidence: Recognizes accomplishments and sets new goals.

Encouraging Curiosity

Curiosity is the foundation of learning and innovation. Parents can stimulate curiosity by:

  • Creating a Stimulating Environment: Provide access to a variety of books on different subjects, subscription to online learning platforms, and engaging puzzles or mind-challenging games. Example: Subscribe to educational services like Coursera or Khan Academy, or buy books on subjects they show interest in, like astronomy, coding, or history.
  • Encouraging Questions: Welcome and engage with your teenager’s questions, promoting a culture of inquisitiveness. Example: If your teenager asks about climate change, watch documentaries together, discuss the science behind it, and encourage them to join related clubs or forums.
  • Exploring Interests: Allow adolescents to delve into their interests and provide resources and opportunities to explore these areas deeply. Example: If your teen is interested in music, provide them with access to music lessons, software to create their own music, or opportunities to attend concerts.

Promoting Commitment

Once curiosity is sparked, the next step is to encourage teenagers to make commitments. This involves:

  • Setting Goals Together: Collaborate with your teenager to set realistic and achievable goals related to their studies, hobbies, or personal projects. Example: Work with your teen to set a goal of learning a new language within six months, including a plan with daily practice and weekly progress reviews.
  • Tracking Progress: Use charts or journals to help teenagers track their progress and celebrate milestones to keep them motivated. Example: Create a visual progress chart for a fitness goal or a personal project, celebrating milestones like running a 5K or completing a significant part of their project.
  • Teaching Time Management: Help adolescents develop time management skills by creating schedules that balance work and play. Example: Assist your teen in creating a weekly schedule that allocates time for homework, extracurricular activities, relaxation, and socializing.

Instilling Courage

Courage is about persevering through challenges. Parents can build this trait by:

  • Modeling Resilience: Show your teenager how to handle setbacks positively by sharing your experiences and how you overcame difficulties. Example: Share a story of a time you faced a significant challenge at work or in your personal life, and discuss the steps you took to overcome it.
  • Creating a Safe Space for Failure: Encourage your teenager to take risks and reassure them that failure is a part of learning. Discuss what went wrong and how they can improve. Example: If your teen fails a test, discuss what strategies can be improved for next time, such as study habits or test-taking techniques, rather than focusing solely on the grade.
  • Recognizing Effort: Praise the effort and not just the outcome, teaching teenagers that hard work is valuable regardless of the result. Example: Reward your teen for the hours they put into a school project or practicing a sport, regardless of the final grade or performance outcome.

Developing Capability

As adolescents overcome obstacles, they develop specific capabilities. To foster these, parents can:

  • Providing Learning Opportunities: Enroll your teenager in classes, workshops, or online courses that align with their interests and goals. Example: Sign up your teen for a coding boot camp, a creative writing workshop, or a science camp during the summer.
  • Connecting with Mentors: Introduce your teenager to mentors who can offer guidance and knowledge in their areas of interest. Example: If your teen is interested in entrepreneurship, arrange for them to meet with a successful business owner or participate in a youth mentorship program.
  • Encouraging Practice: Create regular opportunities for teenagers to practice their skills, whether it’s playing an instrument, coding, or playing a sport. Example: Set aside a dedicated practice time each day for your teen to work on their piano skills, participate in coding challenges, or train for their sports team.

Building Confidence

Confidence is the culmination of the previous steps. To build confidence, parents should:

  • Celebrating Achievements: Acknowledge your teenager’s accomplishments, big or small, to reinforce their belief in their abilities. Example: Celebrate milestones such as completing a challenging project, winning a school competition, or simply showing improvement in a difficult subject.
  • Setting New Challenges: Encourage your teenager to set new, more challenging goals once a goal is achieved. Example: If your teen has successfully learned the basics of a new language, encourage them to aim for a more advanced level or to travel abroad for immersion.
  • Promoting Self-Reflection: Teach your teenager to reflect on their achievements and the processes that led to their success. Example: After completing a significant project, have your teen write or talk about what strategies worked, what challenges they faced, and what they learned from the experience.

The Next Generation and the Family Council

Early involvement in the family business and the creation of emotional ties between family values and personal objectives is especially important for the continuity of any family business. This requires careful coordination of family roles and channels of communication within the Family Council. There are ways to help the integration of younger generations and some of these are:

  • Family Meetings: Regular family meetings where teenagers are encouraged to voice their opinions and ideas can create a sense of belonging and responsibility.
  • Clear Roles: Define roles within family projects or activities to give teenagers a sense of ownership and accountability.
  • Emotional Investment: Ensure that your teenager’s contribution is recognised and rewarded, especially when aligned with the family’s values.
  • Regular Check-Ins: Schedule regular check-ins to discuss your teenager’s progress and any necessary adjustments to their learning plans.
  • Utilizing Technology: Use apps and tools for scheduling, task management, and progress tracking to help teenagers manage their responsibilities efficiently.

The Importance of Mentoring

Mentorship plays a vital role in motivating and developing adolescents. As discussed in our previous blog, “Guiding Success: The Vital Role of Mentorship in Family Office Dynamics,” effective mentorship is not just about transferring knowledge and skills; it involves aligning with the family’s values and vision. Mentors act as interim leaders, setting standards for successors to emulate and helping to maintain the continuity and integrity of the family business​​. They can also serve as a source of objective feedback and advice, encourage independence, broaden perspectives and support skill development. Furthermore, mentors play a crucial role by offering an external perspective and contributing their voice to the conversation. Adolescents may be more receptive to opinions from individuals outside their immediate family, as they may feel more comfortable discussing certain topics with mentors than with their parents.

Conclusion

Motivating adolescents involves a nuanced approach that recognises and nurtures their abilities and interests. By employing the right measures parents can create an environment where teenagers feel valued, and equipped to achieve their best. This holistic approach not only prepares them for future challenges but also instills in them a lifelong love for learning and personal growth.

Reference:

Ernst, T. Daniele, K. Frantz (2011) ‘New perspectives on adolescent motivated behavior: Attention and conditioning’, Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Volume 1, Issue 4, pp. 377-389. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2011.07.013.