The Three Big Questions for a Frantic Family – Part 4

Don't Let This Happen to You!

Welcome back to Life Compass, where we’re talking about Patrick Lencioni’s new book, entitled: The Three Big Questions for a Frantic Family:  A Leadership Fable About Restoring Sanity to the Most Important Organization in Your Life.

Over the last few days we’ve covered Question #1: “What makes your family unique?” and Question #2:  What is your family’s top priority rallying cry right now?

Today we conclude with Question #3:  How are We Going to Talk About and Use The Answers to These Questions? Perhaps another way to put it is this:  “So What?”

So now you’ve thought about what makes your family unique, and you’ve identified the major theme that becomes your rallying cry for the next season of life…now what?  How are you going to be any different tomorrow than you were yesterday?

Lencioni says that what’s needed now is some review, accountability, and some kind of visual aid.  He suggests that the leaders of the family plan a time to get together weekly to discuss the progress they’re making.  It could be as simple as a five minute meeting or as special as a date night. He explains:

It is one thing to know what makes your family unique and what needs to be rallied around right now, it is another to put them to use as a guide for living with purpose and clarity.  Another key to making it work is keeping it in front of you, and having regular discussions about it.  This requires a visual of some kind, nothing overly formal, but something that can be easily referenced and accessible.  A single page with a family’s values and strategy, and with its top priority and corresponding categories, will suffice.  Sticking it up on the refrigerator or kitchen whiteboard will go a long way to keeping the family anchored.

Well, that’s it.  Pretty simple, eh?  These three simple, yet big,questions should help all families live with more purpose, clarity and meaning.

Lencioni’s final challenge:

If we just take a little bit of time to explicitly decide what we stand for, what we want, and how we’re going to go about succeeding as a family, I truly believe we’ll be more successful as families.  The most important organization in your life deserves that, doesn’t it?

Indeed it does!