The Importance of Consistent Family Meetings

We have all been a part of new teams, groups or companies that begin fresh, full of hopes and  promises with lots of great ideas. And after many platitudes are exchanged, everyone goes their separate ways – never to speak of these ambitions again. Then towards the end of the season or the new year, the group reconvenes. But now we’re all scratching our heads like, “Yeah, that didn’t happen. Neither did that. Nor that.” I wonder, why?

How do you inspect what you expect?

When I work with parents or entrepreneurs on their mission statement, vision for success and the values that guide them— I tell them that there are NO FREE MOVES. Either you are LIVING your Mission/Vision/Values or YOU ARE NOT. It’s that simple. Notice I said simple, not easy.

Lisa and I knew that writing down our family mission statement, vision and values on paper would be the easy part. Collectively, we all wanted to serve others, believe in ourselves and in each other, share as much as possible and last but not least, achieve! And as time went on, we noticed that we were indeed living out these goals – but life can get crazy and messy and we needed a point of reference to come together and TALK about them. We realized we needed something where we could consistently discuss and review what we believed in and how that was present in our everyday lives.

So we started having weekly meetings, every Sunday night, after dinner. It has become imperative to keep this meeting because we have 5 kids and usually we are going in 7 different directions, multiple times a day. So a little organization, just to start the week, is needed for everyone to be aware of what is happening and what needs to happen.

This is a great example of showing our kids how far intention, organization and teamwork can take us. We also ask for their input— what or where have they noticed that we have been living up to our Mission/Vision/Values? We call it, “Sell the Sizzle.” The kids love to tell stories and connect actions or behaviors to what we collectively believe is important. We also love to take this time to check in and connect with our kids. Things change—activities change—friends change—but one thing that never changes is how great it feels to be connected as a family.

What are your thoughts on Family Meetings? Do you consistently check in with your partner or your kids? You can read more about how to run effective family meetings, how to keep your cool during these meetings, establishing different themes and hear about our own experiences in Book 1 or sign up for a workshop with me!

Share your story or thoughts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn. You can also email me at DJ@Dare2Dad.com.

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