Raising a family can often feel like unfettered chaos. Author Bruce Feiler says that we can learn a lot, though, from software developers using the "agile" philosophy, and apply that to family life.
Agile development, for those unfamiliar, is a method of software development based on self-governance (as opposed to an executive "top down" approach) and working in small spans of time, so people can get quick feedback and respond to changes. Feiler says that families can benefit from this same idea: by bringing your children into the process of "running the house," everyone gets constant feedback and stays accountable for their actions. His kids even pick their own punishments...which, okay, seems a little crazy, but it seems to work for them.
It's a good talk, and as with most things, you don't need to follow his method to a T. But it's a good example of how communication between family members can reduce stress all around, and make the family "gears" run a little smoother. Check out the video above for the full talk.