What rules actually make a family retreat productive?

Three ground rules. Kris Kluver, in The Dysfunctional Family Office, opens every retreat with the same set. Respect time. Showing up on time is a sign of respect for everyone in the room. Embrace curiosity. Replace assumptions with questions, and what's said in the room stays in the room. Be ultra-present. Phones away, no multitasking. The greatest gift you can give anyone is your full presence. The rules sound simple. In practice they reset the entire dynamic of UHNW family meetings, where founders are usually distracted, kids are usually checked out, and the in-laws are usually managing the temperature. With these three rules enforced from the start, the meeting can actually do the work. Without them, the meeting performs the work and produces nothing.