How to Have a Successful Family Meeting
- 1). Choose a day and time for your family meeting. Find a time when all family members can be present, avoiding days that are already very busy. Choose a time when there are no distractions, such as a favorite TV show, or other pressing activities such as sports or business meetings. Deciding on a day and time convenient for all family members will make meeting attendance easier and less stressful.
- 2). Emphasize the importance of regular attendance. Remind family members that if they are absent family decisions will be made without them.
- 3). Begin each meeting with a round of compliments. If your family is small, each person can give every other person a compliment. If your family is larger, each person can turn to the person on his left, for instance, and give that person a compliment. Compliments start the meeting on a constructive note and encourage family members to focus on the positive elements in your family.
- 4). Create ground rules such as:
All opinions will be respected.
No speaking when someone else is speaking.
Discussions will be respectful and calm.
No put-downs.
Notes will be kept for each meeting. - 5). Choose a chairperson and a secretary. The chairperson will be responsible for keeping discussions straightforward and keeping the meeting on task. The secretary will keep notes of what is discussed during the meeting and decisions that are made.
- 6). Keep meetings short. In the beginning, only discuss two or three topics. Keep discussions concise. If a topic seems to be getting out of control, the chairperson should bring the discussion back to the topic at hand and move toward resolution.
- 7). Come to a consensus or vote on decisions. If your family cannot come to a consensus on a subject, table the discussion until the next meeting and make this discussion a priority at the next meeting. If a subject needs immediate attention and is timely, such as where the family will go for dinner the following evening, a popular vote may be taken.
- 8). Plan a fun family activity at the end of the meeting, such as playing a game or watching a movie together. Ending a meeting by doing something pleasant gives each participant something to look forward to, encourages family togetherness and ends the meeting on a positive note.
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