A family team, in a lot of ways, is just like a sports team. Each member needs to know the plays, know what the coaches decided & why, be able to weigh in on critical decisions, and be unified around the greater vision of the team. To accomplish this, Every team needs regular team meetings.

Big Ideas

1. Teams need to be reminded of the plan and get excited about the vision of what they're shooting for

2. Teams need to feel that the only way they are going to win is if they decide, right now, to act as one.

“And he called his twelve disciples together...”  

Mark 6:7

No successful team just walks onto the field and starts playing. First, they meet. These “locker-room” talks have become the stuff of legends. Teams need to be reminded of the plan and get excited about the vision of what they're shooting for. Teams need to feel that the only way they are going to win is if they decide, right now, to act as one. Let's look at how you can start implementing this practice.

Suggested Steps

There is no perfect way to conduct a family team meeting, but a framework can be a great place to start. Tweak to what works best for your team and make it fun! Try this simple T.E.A.M. acronym at the start or end of each week:

1. Takeaways - What are the highs and lows from the past week? Give each person a chance to share. One of the main reasons for this exercise is to learn to listen to and understand one another.

2. Events (Calendar) - Look at the weeks ahead. Review, tweak & add big events to whatever calendar(s) your family uses. (HERE is a free printout, or you may like this one from Family Teams!) When you see something on the calendar your kids may not know the details about, try to thoroughly describe the event, what is expected from the team, answer any questions, and take suggestions.

3. Announcements - Whether it's something on the calendar that needs clarified, vision for the week ahead, or just a key reminder, share anything that will help the team stay on the same page.

4. Most Important - What action items do each team member need to execute for the whole family to succeed? What’s ONE key improvement for the whole team to focus on for the week ahead?

Did you know that Jesus was a master of team meetings? He had a kind of coaching staff: Peter, James and John. He constantly took them aside for special conversations and experiences:

“And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.” Matthew 17:1

He repeatedly met with the team as a whole:

“And he called his twelve disciples together...” Mark 6:7

And he was a master at the pregame talk:

“As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside privately and told them what was going to happen to him. “ Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem...” Matthew 20:17

“But I hate meetings!” You might be thinking. Keep in mind, nothing complicated, that requires unifying the effort of multiple people ever happens well without meetings. Make them and fun and tweak to fit the personality of your family.

There is one major reason families don’t meet—they don’t believe they are a team. So get ready. Even if you don't love the meetings right away, the impact over time will help you get there.