Is It the Right Fit For You?

Becoming a successful family advisor is a role that most people grow into—it is the result of many factors, including:

• Self-awareness
• Listening and communication skills
• Commitment to collaboration
• Practice

When looking for or accepting family advisor roles, it is important to ask questions and get the right information so you are clear on what you will be asked to do.  Then you can decide if it is a good fit for you at this time.

Understand what is being expected:
Review the Basic Information Checklist for the Family Advisor. Questions to consider include:

• What is the purpose and format of the meeting or event?
• When and where will it be and how long is the commitment?
• Who will be there and what is important to know about them?
• What would be your role?
• How should you prepare?
• Who would be your contact?

Ask yourself:

• Is this important to me and is it something I want to do?
• Will this work for me?
• Do I have something to offer on the topic?
• Do I have enough perspective on our family's situation to effectively discuss the topic?
• How comfortable am I talking about my child and family?

It is also important that you consider how much to share about your child and family. Or return to Becoming a Family Advisor.