There are many stories to share when you work in a family business and I’d like to share a little bit about mine. I worked with my husband and two of my sons for 15 years. I loved everything about it as it was an extension of my family, only we now moved from the bedroom to the boardroom. Not an easy task, as the family dynamics would come into play during working hours.

“You can’t wear sneakers to the office, that’s not professional, “I yelled at my son, as he went through his messages on the reception desk. He shrugged and walked away.

I immediately ran to my husband and said, “you must talk to your son, he’s not listening to me!

This was a minor issue, but it was indicative of families who work together. Family feuds could arise from; what to call your parents during working hours, to teaching the older generation how to understand new computer software, to siblings arguing over a stapler that represented a favorite toy. These might seem unimportant, but in many instances they escalate.

The ongoing hostility forced me to seek outside professional help and fortunately my husband and sons agreed to the counseling. We all had an open mind making our meetings with the counselor productive with positive end results. We learned about the family system and the business system. We learned about boundaries, control, good communication and respect.

A family business is an extension of the home. Families who work together must learn to run the business from their heads and not their hearts. It’s easy to lash out at a family member, anytime anyplace, but if we adhere to boundaries, and acknowledge family members as business partners the bedroom and the boardroom can be kept separate.

 

Till next time…..Keep on Dancin’!