The 70-30 split
In a recent interview Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, noted how AWS have flipped the institutional balance between product and sales. Traditionally, a technology company spends 30% of its resources building a product, and 70% shouting about it. He believes there is a place for an alternative model which focuses 70% on the product and 30% on a sales team that assists with a product that speaks for itself.
This is an interesting model which has application beyond the world of technology. For example, many parents may intuitively operate a 70%-30% balance between adult-initiated activity vs. independent encounter, in children. But is there a room for an alternative? Perhaps we should encourage children towards an independent engagement with the world, but contribute towards this engagement the 30% they cannot attain or learn by themselves.
What then would this 30% influence consist of? It would focus on their value system, so that they can make responsible and action–inspired decisions. By enabling children to create a moral framework around their own experiences, they will learn to qualify, evaluate and determine why something is important to them, and this will create a breeding ground for success.
If we do this correctly, we should expect to find engaged children that have confronted the challenges of growing up, to become confident and successful adults.