General Goals
A “family standup meeting” is a regular time to synchronize family members in several ways:
- a regular time to server as the “anchor” for the day
- communicate goals and needs
- report how things are going
- receiving non-judgmental feedback
- working out conflicts together in the open
- making decisions and setting plans together
The intention is that over time, family members can understand and support each other because goals/needs/aspirations are known.
Meeting Format
They are intended to be short and lightweight, to not drain a lot of energy because no one likes that! Everyone gets a turn to go.
The standup leader for the meeting keeps the meeting focused and brisk so it isn’t mentally draining.
To keep the meeting short and focused, the meeting can be as short as a few minutes per person using this format:
- how did yesterday go
- what insights were gained on longer goals
- what the plan is for today
- requests for help, information, suggestions for the family
Discussion of important topics might draw-out the conversation, which is fine. When the topic or member’s turn goes for more than 10-15 minutes, suggest that we talk about it next meeting, or discuss it afterwards.
It’s fine to spread the discussion out over several days, which helps reduce mental fatigue from the meeting. The group can close the discussion by suggesting something to try out and report on the next day for a new round of discussion.
Note Taking
The leader keeps continuity notes for each meeting so they can be referred to in future meetings. These are short reminders about things mentioned during the meeting that can be referred to in future meetingsSimilar to minutes in a meeting with “old business”, “new business”, “decisions”.. The leader’s notes are to help with continuity between days so things aren’t forgotten or fall through the cracks. Everyone can help add to the notes during the meeting.
Possibilities for note taking:
- goals mentioned
- progress on goals
- notable milestones on goals to celebrate
- expressed needs, ideas, or suggestions
- noting possible concerns
The notes need to be legible enough for the standup leader to read at the next meeting, so take time during the meeting to write them well! It is ok to ask for a bit of time to do so.
General Considerations and Accommodations
Everyone at the meeting has a different way of thinking and talking, with different expectations of etiquette. When these clash, it’s good to remember that no one has ill-intent, and by working through the conflict and find a way to try to reduce the conflict in a genuine way.
In general, sentiment and tone are the main governers of a meeting to establish that it’s a safe space to discuss.