There are many advantages and disadvantages to having a family business.  The key is to understand and capitalize on the positives like:  speed of decision making; solidarity; being a true team; having a legacy for future family members; authenticity; trust; and sometimes control.

Additionally, families may be primarily there to provide emotional income, and can utilize the structure of the business to protect and improve that emotional income.  The business may be there to provide a living for the employees and their families while providing an important service/product for the customers, and can use more love to make it more sustainable and more productive.

Our observations of what is needed more and what actually works include:

• An operations manager for a construction company once explained how he stands between the doorways of two owners and relays comments and observations back and forth from one to the other.
• A family is struggling because they keep running from one activity to the next, but now, with some goals we have set with them, it is beginning to get easier.
• A manufacturing company is having “All Hands Meetings” and low cost barbecues on the weekends with employees.
• A very large 3 generation business has done Kolbe A’s on all their family members and understands how to leverage and appreciate differences among each other rather than of using those differences for conflict.

• How do you and your leaders overcome and resolve family and business conflicts?

• Does your organization know how to best leverage the “family” differences to improve the organization from the inside out?

• Does your organization have systems and roles in place for all family members?

If your organization needs help moving your family business to the next level to ensure its legacy, contact our expert guides by calling 800-786-4332, or email JSabatini@AppliedVisionWorks.com.  Success is in plain sight and only takes 30 minutes to get started!