Tag Archives: family culture

03/18/16

Giving Your Best

“My grandfather said to me, ‘Give the world the best you have, and the best will come back to you.’[1]

Upon reading this, a particular family-business story came to mind: A friend of mine, the youngest sibling in a second-generation family business was frustrated by his father’s strong-minded control and by his older siblings’ apparent apathy. He saw that rather than giving their best, his siblings were showing up for work daily but purposefully only “treading water” until they were able to take control of the business.

My friend had left the business once and was about to again because he was unable to give his best within the confines of the family situation.

This complex situation might well benefit from counseling. But my purpose in writing this blog entry is solely to draw awareness to the lost potential for multi-generational family legacies when family members are not raised in a culture of giving their best in whatever role life asks of them.

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[1] Simmons, Annette, The Story Factor, Secrets of Influence from the Art of Storytelling, p. 9, Annette Simmons. Basic Books. 2001.

 

 

03/11/16

The Familiness of Your Family Business

John, CEO of the firm, tells Robert that they are letting him go because he was coming up short on the competencies needed for his job.

John turns away and then back to face Robert. He says: “Son, I heard you lost your job. How can I help?”

Familiness in a family business is that unique set of resources which arise from the interactions among the family system as a whole, the individual family members and within the business itself. It describes a behavior that supports the family as a whole, the individual members and the business. Where it exists, it constitutes a competitive advantage.

In this story the strength of the family commitment is evident. John recognized and Robert understood that what was good for the business was good for the family, and equally what was good for the family was good for the business.

Familiness embodies the family culture, the reputation of the company, confidence and communication among family members, entrepreneurial spirit, management of non-family employees, and trust. It is what we compliment as the hallmark of a model family business enterprise.