During 2015, Federal account executives, directors and managers have been busy influencing our clients into selecting us for contract award. Now it is holiday season, when we can spend a little time with our kids. We now have to write our proposals on how to overcome the disconnect with our kids which is primarily due to generation differences.

When I say kids, I mean kids from 40 year olds down to 10 because if you have a 40 year old son or daughter, let’s face it, we still see them as our “kids”.

Question is how to resolve the disconnect in generations and how to overcome the burns and bruises of years in our relationship with our kids. What to do so that we don’t hear the phrase “You just don’t understand me” anymore? This is where proposal writing comes into play. Before the holidays, we held a meeting in our company and put all our experience together so that we would have the best outcome from the upcoming holidays. Here is goes:

As a proposal manager you need to put yourself in the shoes of the evaluator and write your proposal so he likes it. Let me put that in another perspective that is in context with these days. You GIVE so that you can RECEIVE. The more effort you put into your proposal to make it exactly what the evaluator wants, the more the chances you get a winner. So the more your give, the more chances that you receive (an award).

Now let’s put that logic into our relationship with our kids. Here are some suggestions to bridge the gap and get closer to your kids:

  1. Be the Unilateral Giver. Even if your kid doesn’t comprehend you in the beginning, this formula always works out.
  2. Don’t try to make your kid be like you. Instead, in line with Giving, try to understand what he/she wants to be, likes and cherishes. Then ask your kid to show it you. Learn those strange slang words and strange ways they communicate with each other. It is strange to our generation but not to them.
  3. Remember that Kids have their emotions, and frankly they are more emotional than us (perhaps I should say more humane?) so don’t play with their emotions and yet try to comprehend them.
  4. Show your kid that what is important to him/her, is also important to you. Ask about details and provide questions that show you care about your kid’s thoughts.
  5. We all have egos. Don’t play on your kid’s ego and when your ego is agitated by your kid, don’t forget that you are the Giver, so ignore it. So what, he/she has said something that you don’t like. Your house will not burn down in fire, and all hell will not break out! Just forgive.
  6. Plan your holidays to what your kids like. Let’s make it an experience for them. Your experience this time should be to get closer to your kids.