Gönan Premfors is a pioneering coach, business founder, child advocate, and creator of a parenting and trust curriculum that has been delivered in more than 30 cities on four continents. Full bio at the end of the post.
Everyone is familiar with the image of great teams, from sports to business, huddled together in the face of insurmountable opposition from a formidable team or competition. The rallying cry of the leader and the team getting behind the impossible mission and readying for the final showdown. It’s time to bring some of that energy to your family.
The Spirit of teams, togetherness, and a sense of mission
Have you ever had family meetings at home?
One of the universal ideas that can be applied to any family is The Family Council, which is a great way to bring the best of business and sports to your family. If done well, it can instantly change the dynamics of the family, and even if it’s not done perfectly, it’s a great opportunity to get the family together and show your intention to take responsibility and create positive change in your family.
The Problem
As parents, we are busy with work and simply getting a lot of things done. Every day is about getting kids ready for school, shopping for groceries, arranging meals, and then we also need to work. There’s hardly any time to think about anything else, so when the weekend arrives, we try to relax and do the things we enjoy.
We often overlook how everyone is actually doing and what we could do to make life easier and better. Are the kids thriving instead of just making sure they’re caught up on school work? Is your partner doing well, or are they just getting by? There are countless questions that we don’t even have time to answer because we are too busy and too exhausted to even think about it.
The Solution
There is a surefire way to engage your entire family: introduce a regular family council. It’s a simple idea that brings the family together for a conversation about what matters. You can call it whatever you want, from Family Council to the Supreme Gathering of the Fab Fam — or even better, let your kids name it.
The Family Council fosters a strong sense of responsibility
The Benefits
You can discuss everything from daily life to planning family holidays. The Family Council ensures that everyone gets seen and heard. By bringing everyone together, it creates a strong sense of family and belonging. You are likely to see improved communication, stronger family bonds, better problem-solving, and the chance to identify challenges you didn’t even know about. Allow yourself to be surprised by the impact on all aspects of your family life.
The Steps to Creating a Successful Family Council Meeting
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Give it the gravitas it deserves and treat it like it’s business, but make sure it’s not too serious.
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Set a date and time when you know everyone will be home.
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Send everyone an invitation — if the kids are old enough, create a group on a messaging platform.
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Share a draft agenda and ask everyone to add what they want to talk about.
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At the beginning of each meeting, spend time on Agreements and Designing Relationships.
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Use a notebook or shared tools like Google Docs or Notes to keep track of what was discussed and any major decisions or commitments.
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Be flexible and have fun with whatever shows up.
Click here to get started with your first Family Council meeting agenda and see the difference it can make!
About the Author: Gönan Premfors is a pioneering coach, business founder, child advocate, and creator of a parenting and trust curriculum delivered in more than 30 cities on four continents. She is the founder of The Coaches Training Institute in Dubai and is a global faculty member for The Co-Active Training Institute (U.S.A.). Gönan has dedicated more than two decades to working with thousands of executives, leaders, athletes, and parents, helping them navigate the complexities of leading, managing, and raising children in a rapidly changing world.
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