In our latest Youth Career Readiness: One Question Podcast, Roy Spence shares why we shouldn’t ask kids what they want to be when they grow up. Instead we should ask them what do you love to do?
Michael Horn
Jean, I got to be on a panel recently with Roy Spence. Roy is a marketing professional. Guru might actually be the better word. He's actually in the Advertising Hall of Fame. And among his many other accomplishments and experiences, he co-founded the advertising firm GSD&M, and, from that perch, coined the phrase, “Don't mess with Texas,” as well as led some big and notable campaigns for companies like Southwest Airlines, Walmart, and the United States Air Force. And he also has served as a longtime friend and advisor to President Bill Clinton.
Jean Eddy
And Michael, more recently, Roy's focused on making sure young people understand the importance of purpose. He's the co-founder of the Purpose Institute, and most recently he founded the Make It Movement. The Make It Movement's goal is to use marketing as a force for good, to support school counselors, teachers, and parents by visually and emotionally connecting all students while in high school with hope and clarity about their purpose and their passion, and to help them discover career pathways that play to their strengths, because makers are needed in this country right now.
Michael Horn
That's exactly right, Jean. And Roy, my question for you is this, what's your advice for those who are coaching and mentoring middle and high school students when it comes to careers and their futures?
Roy Spence
If you're out there and you're coaching or mentoring middle school or high school kids, and they're different middle versus high. But here's what they all want. Everyone we talk to, every young person wants to have meaning in their life and purpose. They don't know what that means necessarily, but they want to figure out, just like we did. What's your calling in life? So part of what I love to do, first of all, don't ask them, what do you want to be when you grow up, what do you want to do, ask them, what do you love to do? And sometimes when a kid says, I want to be a singer and the kid sucks at it, that kid might be saying, I want to be a performer, you know? Who are performers? Teachers. We got to redirect some of that. So number one, talk about purpose and ask them what they love to do. The third thing I would say is show them videos. Show them so when they see an electrician or they see a welder or they see a construction [worker]….Kids aren't gonna, they don't remember anything you tell them. They barely remember anything you teach them. But if you involve them and get them engaged, they will learn it. So I would say, listen, ask them what they love to do, and then show them these exciting careers visually. And then that's what I would do.
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