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

PRAISE FORThe 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

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.