Is a High School relevant to the workplace? What lessons can you learn to take to the workplace?

One thing that surprises me the most when I speak with students is their belief that how one behaves in the workplace is somehow different than how they behave at school. When students come late, I sometimes ask “what would your father say to their employees if they came late”. “They would be very angry” is the most common response. “So why is it acceptable for you to come late, then?” I reply.

If every student treated school like a “job” or their career, we could accomplish so much more. My favorite show on TV is The Apprentice with Donald Trump. I like it much better than Survivor (which focuses on manipulation and popularity), as the boardroom scenes in the Apprentice come down to who messed up the most being fired.

Let’s parallel work life to school life. What would happen if you were always “sick” on days when you had major projects due at your work? You were most definitely be fired. But what happens when you are absent on days when you have projects at school? You are definitely not fired! What happens if you come late to work too often, or miss work without even calling in to say that you will be away? Now, is this similar to the consequences of being a student?

So here is my challenge. I would like every student in High School to view school like a business. Your teachers are your boss. Now how does that change your belief about school?

Raise your standards, raise your “game”, and don’t get “fired!”.