Families are the Best Teachers

I would like to see a new interviewing process that includes bringing in the parents of prospective employees for interviews. I have long been a proponent of the apple not falling far from the tree. True, I have seen good kids come from bad parents, but more often I have seen good kids come from parents with values. It is rare that troubled kids come from families with strong core values. It’s not unusual to have kids in trouble, but it is less likely to have troubled kids. There is a difference.

During the research for this book, I got a strong dose of “today’s kids” being the problem. I heard everything from education to upbringing, from being spoiled to being ingrates. For some, it is all about the kids. I tend to prefer the Nordstrom philosophy, that the best trainer of employees is their parents. I am disgusted at the number of irresponsible parents who are setting such poor examples for many young people. I am just as frustrated with the cavalier attitudes of other family leaders when it comes to complete lack of respect for adults, possessions, and feelings of others that are being taught in too many homes.