What I’d Say to My Son: ‘Be Savvi’™

Like many parents, all I want for my son is for him to be successful, and for most of us this means to be happy and achieve our best. In today’s competitive society, you have got to stand out from the crowd. In order to accomplish that, what I say to my son is to be ‘savvi™’ (savvy), which I define as being ‘in the know’ – an acronym for five main factors, without which, success seems distant and intangible.

Savvi stands for: Self-awareness, Achiever’s mindset, Values, Verbal communication, and Inspiration. As aparent, I have shared this framework not only with my son, but with my daughters too; as a Teacher, I have instilled it in my students; and as a Coach, I have used this to guide my clients, parents, students, business owners and teams.

Self-awareness – recognise your strengths and weaknesses

Don’t concentrate on what you can’t do, but on what you can do. Many children focus on the latter, not knowing how this can damage self-confidence and self-esteem. When my son was told he was dyslexic, he began recording his lessons, using his auditory learning skills to overcome his weak literacy. What I have always said is to develop an awareness of strengths and use them to combat weaknesses. ‘Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom’ – Lao Tzu.

Achiever’s mindset – develop this

When you have the right mindset, you can take your ability so much further. I have encouraged my son to set goals that will stretch him and help him develop in all areas of his life, whether it’s socially, career wise, or emotionally. Results are not determined by ability or luck, but from developing an ‘I can’ attitude. ‘Your “I can” is more important that your IQ’ – Robin Sharma

Values – recognise the importance of them

So many of the issues faced by children stem from peer group and social pressures, such as engaging in anti-social behaviour. What I did with my son and family was to sit down and agree our family values. When you know what values are important to you and your family, they act as a moral compass to guide you then external bad influences will not throw you off your path. ‘I stood for nothing so I fell for everything’ – Katy Perry

Verbal communication – be an effective communicator

These days, children are more connected to their phone than with those around them. It’s important to have strong verbal communication skills not only within the family, but the ability to connect with lots of different people in order to form good relationships with future colleagues and partners. ‘Change your words, change your world’ – Andrea Gardner

Inspiration – seek it proactively

Our children are more fortunate compared to previous generations, who were motivated by desperation. So it’s important for our sons to look instead for inspiration to drive them to grow and lead a fulfilling life. What I would say is to seek inspiration from those who have achieved success.

If you would like more information, tips and practical tools on how to be a Savvi parent or to develop savvi children, please contact Rita Chowdhry at rita@savran.co.uk

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