The Family Board Meeting: You Have 18 Summers To Create Lasting Connection With Your Children by Jim Sheils - HTML preview

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7

TOP TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL BOARD MEETING

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Board Meetings strategy is elegantly simple and tremendously effective, but even with three easy steps, the best intentions can sometimes go awry.

The last thing you want is for your Board Meeting to become just another thing your kid feels forced to endure. Here are the best ways to ensure your time together is just as amazing as you hope.

 

  1. BE COMPLETELY PRESENT

No matter what, don’t concern yourself with other matters during the Board Meeting. Anything else can wait a few hours. Just focus on what you are doing with your son or daughter.

This may sound simple, but it’s not always easy in practice. Consider that the day of your Board Meeting might be the same day you lose a big contract. Perhaps it will be the day your father tells you he has cancer. Maybe it’s the day you receive a phone call from your child’s principal about bad behavior.

Even if none of these things happen, pressure and unexpected events are facts of life. If you wait for the perfect, stress-free moment before giving your child your full attention, you’ll be waiting forever.

Seize the moment before you. Turn off the phone, make a real effort to turn off the voices in your mind, and simply focus on your child.

 

  1. DROP YOUR GUARD

One of the most exciting findings in psychology over the past few years has been the power of vulnerability. Brené Brown’s 2010 TED talk went viral and set the stage for the vulnerability revolution—and for good reason; wherever true vulnerability is practiced, relationships grow, strengthen, and become more rewarding.

It can be difficult, however, for parents to be open and vulnerable. We’re trained to be tough, confident and strong for our children. But while those things can be important, there’s great value in letting your guard down and revealing more of yourself to your child.

Keeping your guard up is far more common than we care to admit; you may not even realize you’re doing it.