3 Big Questions for a Frantic Family (eBook)

PATRICK LENCIONI is a New York Times best-selling business author of seven books including The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and The Truth About Employee Engagement. He is also a husband and the father of four boys. As president and founder of The Table Group, Pat has consulted to CEOs and leadership teams in organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies and start-ups to churches and non-profits. In addition to his books, Pat has written or been featured in publications like Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Leader to Leader, and USA Today. To learn more about Patrick Lencioni and his other products and services, please visit www.tablegroup.com.

Introduction vii

The Fable

Part One: The Problem 3

Part Two: Business School 49

Part Three: Trial and Error 107

The Model

The Frantic Family 171

Context 173

Fast, Fast, Fast 176

The Three Big Questions 179

Question #1: What makes your family unique? 180

Question #2: What is your family's top priority--rallying cry--right now? 190

Question #3: How do you talk about and use the answers to these questions? 196

Author's Note 201

Family Examples 204

Acknowledgments 219

About the Author 221

Memo to mom: "if my clients ran their companies the way we run this family, they'd be out of business." So says the management-consultant dad in this slim but thought-provoking volume. BlackBerrys are blurring the line between work and home. Why not apply business principles to "the most important organization in your life"? It's hard to argue with the idea that family goals should be carefully articulated. Likewise, a weekly family meeting can only help team spirit. But please, let's draw the line at pink slips.