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Checklist for your first family meeting
Prepare yourself Do some reading on what family meetings are and what purpose they can be used for. Think
about and understand your personal goals in wanting to initiate family meetings.
Contemplate how you think your family will view these goals – what is in it for them?
Critically evaluate yourself to determine if you have the skills to facilitate the first meeting.
Identify your 'family'
Who will you include in the meeting? Do you want grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins,
grandchildren, nieces, nephews, adults, children, spouses, significant others, step children?
Anticipate family member
objections/difficulties and how you
will deal with them
Will any members not participate? Will any members try to take over the meeting? Will any
members get angry or otherwise out of control? Will any members get on their soapbox or
otherwise not listen and interact openly? Will any children be old enough for the subject
matter?
Educate your family on family
meetings
Share your new-found knowledge on what other people are doing with family meetings.
Share your thoughts on why holding family meetings will be beneficial to your. It can be
best if you share these thoughts in a one on one or small group setting – to better gauge and
respond to reactions and objections.
Prepare your family to meet
After educating your family on what family meetings are and your vision for your family,
propose a general purpose for the first meeting and gather thoughts on agenda items from the
members. See if there is interest from certain members to fill certain roles (note taker, joke
teller, story teller, speech maker, facility prep or whatever). Determine their thoughts on how
long the first meeting might run and a general time frame they could be available.
Set the agenda for the first meeting
Based on your goals and the family members' thoughts, set the agenda for the first meeting,
including anticipated time required for each agenda item. Be sure to include time (if needed)
for family members to deepen their knowledge of each other – especially if new spouses or
members who seldom interact are present. Be sure that there is a clear and measurable
outcome included in the agenda items. Include humor and family story time if possible.
Select meeting location
Some families use a neutral spot for the meeting, others rotate the meeting around different
member homes. Make sure the location is as central or convenient as possible. Make sure
the location and facility are large enough, comfortable enough and has appropriate services
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