#GrowYourLife
Life Area: Relational
Topic: Functional Families
8 Equivalents of Functional Teams & Functional Families
Let’s segue into the month of Valentine’s Day by talking relationships. Today I identify 8 habits that crossover from functional teams at work to functional families at home. It was an article in Real Simple magazine by author Patrick Lencioni (The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team) that prompts this post translating organizational dynamics to a family setting:
Identify your core values. Companies define their core values because they provide a great framework for making all kinds of decisions. To apply this idea to your family, think about what common traits drive each family member.
Establish a single top priority. If everything is important, nothing is. Too many companies fail because they spread their time and energies too thin. Answer this question as it relates to your family: “If we accomplish one big thing as a family in the next few months, what should it be?”, and then work on it.
If we accomplish one big thing as a family in the next few months,
what should it be?
Keep your values and top priority visible. You don’t need an engraved plaque stating your vision and mission, but write it down and stick it on the refrigerator where everyone will see it everyday.
Don’t make snap decisions. Companies (and families) tend to take on commitments out of peer pressure or guilt, before they understand what’s involved. Gather information and then make a decision.
Understand your opportunity cost. In business, when taking one course of action prevents a company from accomplishing other tasks, we talk about opportunity cost. Knowing your core values will drive your decisions and remove any sense of guilt you might otherwise have had.
Don’t confuse long-term strategies and short-term tactics. For parents, this can take the form of discussing what to have for dinner in the same breath as talking finances. Vital issues can get short shrift or be entirely lost in the minutiae if you don’t stop, filter them out, and return to them later.
Meet often to review your progress. Don’t groan. Families do need to meet once a week, for no more than 10 minutes, to review what’s going on and what adjustments need to be made to their time and priorities.
Get out of the “office” from time to time. Most executives I work with develop a condition I call adrenaline addiction: They’re convinced that they can never slow down and think about the big picture because there is so much to do right now, which inevitably ends in burnout. Parents should also take time as a couple to view calmly the bigger picture of their family.
Please share this post with your family and friends.
My mission is to inspire people and organizations to live their highest vision.
I am a Success Strategist and Master Coach. I provide transformational coaching and training for individuals and organizations to help you Grow Your Life and Build Your Business by getting clear and focused on what you want, why you want it, and how to create it. Learn more about me at SuccessSeriesLLC.com.
There is no better endorsement than that of a friend, so if you like what you’re reading or are using my many FREE resources, tell a friend to join the Tom Hart Success Series Community, to receive email notifications of new blog posts and Talk with Tom podcast episodes, learn of upcoming events, and other news, by visiting my website and clicking on the offer to receive my FREE monthly resource by leaving their email address OR forward this to them and have them simply click here (we respect your privacy and do not tolerate spam and will never sell, rent, lease or give away your information to any third party).
