A mission-first or values-driven approach used in business can support a decision-making framework that leads to smoother-running family life. But it means getting on the same page, first.

“We sometimes think about that in a big [way], like what are your family values? What’s important to you broadly? But I also think that people should sit down and literally think about what do they want Tuesday to look like,” Oster says. “We sometimes make small decisions thinking, ‘Oh, that’s just a small decision, you know, oh, I’m going to let my kid [play] soccer. And that’s just a little thing.’ But then sometimes you wake up and you realize that four nights a week you’re sitting at the soccer field watching your kid play soccer when actually you’d like to be sitting down for family dinner.”