Simple Rules of Family Business Communication

• Make appointments to talk to each other.
• Be prepared to communicate with the other parent.
• Begin talks by deciding easy issues where there is already considerable agreement.
• Make an agenda and stick to it.
• Take turns discussing your thoughts and stay on one topic at a time.
• Keep past marital issues out of parental business talks.
• Agree ahead of time to alert each other when marital issues begin to come up or when anger interferes.
• Discuss issues one-by-one and consider all your options.
• Target critical remarks at the ideas or proposals rather than at the other parent.
• Table the issues you cannot resolve until another time.
• End the meeting by mutual agreement or when the allotted time has expired.
• If you can't talk by phone do so by fax or email.
• Do not discuss business in front of the children unless you know you can be brief and model cooperation and agreement.
• Do not argue in front of the children.
• Also, when communicating with the other parent, you need to be direct. While you may be accustomed to saying, "I'll be there on Monday." You might say, "I'll be at your house on Monday morning between nine and ten." This will clear up any matters that may be unclear and confusing.