- Hardcover: 240 pages
- Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (September 9, 2008)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0787995320
- ISBN-13: 978-0787995324
From Publishers Weekly
Lencioni (The Three Signs of a Miserable Job) makes an eloquent case for applying business tools to manage scattered and stressful home lives. He observes that even successful people who apply strategies and long-term thinking at work neglect to implement plans and goals for their own families, noting that family chaos is just part of life and so we accept levels of confusion and disorganization and craziness at home that we would not tolerate at work. Lencioni invites readers into the lives of a fictional family, describing how overwhelmed stay-at-home mom Theresa brings greater serenity into her home by integrating business pointers into a three-step plan in which her family identifies what makes them unique, their top priority or rallying cry (a big project that can be worked on in two to six months) and a regular time to discuss their progress, preferably 10 minutes a week. Although Lencioni admits that his own family's experience using these tools has been limited, his book is a worthwhile if brief attempt to grapple with a particularly thorny problem facing overextended families. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
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.
Product Description
In this unique and groundbreaking book, business consultant and New York Times best-selling author Patrick Lencioni turns his sights on the most important organization in our lives—the family. As a husband and the father of four young boys, Lencioni realized the discrepancy between the time and energy his clients put into running their organizations and the reactive way most people run their personal lives. Having experienced the stress of a frantic family firsthand, he and his wife began applying some of the tools he uses with Fortune 500 companies at home, and with surprising results.
From the Inside Flap
The 3 Big Questions for a Frantic Family
Theresa Cousins had never been so mad at her husband. Ironically, the comment that sparked her anger wasn't really directed at her specifically, and certainly wasn't meant as criticism. In fact, he said it without maliceor emotion.
"If my clients ran their companies the way we run this family, they'd be out of business."
In this unique and groundbreaking book, business consultant and New York Times best-selling author Patrick Lencioni turns his sights on the most important organization in our lives—the family. As a husband and the father of four young boys, Lencioni realized the discrepancy between the time and energy his clients put into running their organizations and the reactive way most people run their personal lives. Having experienced the stress of a frantic family firsthand, he and his wife began applying some of the tools he uses with Fortune 500 companies at home, and with surprising results.
Like Lencioni's other books, The Three Big Questions for a Frantic Family is written as a fable, using realistic and humorous characters and plotlines that will keep readers turning pages with anticipation while they're learning how to bring sanity to their lives. And they'll be amazed how just a little bit of structure and a few minutes of follow-through each week can make the difference between drudgery and fulfillment at home.
Theresa Cousins had never been so mad at her husband. Ironically, the comment that sparked her anger wasn't really directed at her specifically, and certainly wasn't meant as criticism. In fact, he said it without maliceor emotion.
"If my clients ran their companies the way we run this family, they'd be out of business."
In this unique and groundbreaking book, business consultant and New York Times best-selling author Patrick Lencioni turns his sights on the most important organization in our lives—the family. As a husband and the father of four young boys, Lencioni realized the discrepancy between the time and energy his clients put into running their organizations and the reactive way most people run their personal lives. Having experienced the stress of a frantic family firsthand, he and his wife began applying some of the tools he uses with Fortune 500 companies at home, and with surprising results.
Like Lencioni's other books, The Three Big Questions for a Frantic Family is written as a fable, using realistic and humorous characters and plotlines that will keep readers turning pages with anticipation while they're learning how to bring sanity to their lives. And they'll be amazed how just a little bit of structure and a few minutes of follow-through each week can make the difference between drudgery and fulfillment at home.
From the Back Cover
Praise for The Three Big Questions for a Frantic Family
"A guidebook for frantic families who want to reduce stress, tension, and pressure, and make the adventure of family life more exuberant."
—Frances Hesselbein, chairman and founding president of Leader to Leader Institute, formerly the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit
Management; former CEO, Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.
"This is terrific. Just like he does in his business books, Lencioni combines great fiction with uncommon wisdom and practical advice. He provides simple toolsthat will help any family reduce stress and increase vitality."
—Tim Tassopoulos, senior vice president, operations, Chick-fil-A, Inc.
"By interjecting concepts like strategy and organizational values into families, Lencioni may just revolutionize the way we see our roles as leaders at home. This should be a classic."
—Jim Levine, author, Working Fathers: New Strategies for Balancing Work and Family
"Finally, a family book that doesn't bore me with academic jargon or make me feel inadequate as a parent. I loved it and put it to use immediately."
—Patty DeWitt, school teacher, wife, mother of three
"Patrick's delightful story is as engaging as it is powerful. He elevates the difficult role of managing a family to the place where it belongs."
—Elisa Morgan, CEO, MOPS International; publisher, FullFill
"A guidebook for frantic families who want to reduce stress, tension, and pressure, and make the adventure of family life more exuberant."
—Frances Hesselbein, chairman and founding president of Leader to Leader Institute, formerly the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit
Management; former CEO, Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.
"This is terrific. Just like he does in his business books, Lencioni combines great fiction with uncommon wisdom and practical advice. He provides simple toolsthat will help any family reduce stress and increase vitality."
—Tim Tassopoulos, senior vice president, operations, Chick-fil-A, Inc.
"By interjecting concepts like strategy and organizational values into families, Lencioni may just revolutionize the way we see our roles as leaders at home. This should be a classic."
—Jim Levine, author, Working Fathers: New Strategies for Balancing Work and Family
"Finally, a family book that doesn't bore me with academic jargon or make me feel inadequate as a parent. I loved it and put it to use immediately."
—Patty DeWitt, school teacher, wife, mother of three
"Patrick's delightful story is as engaging as it is powerful. He elevates the difficult role of managing a family to the place where it belongs."
—Elisa Morgan, CEO, MOPS International; publisher, FullFill
About the Author
Patrick Lencioni is a New York Times best-selling business author of seven books including The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and The Three Signs of a Miserable Job. 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.
