Special Issue: Your Relationships

February 13, 2023 - Issue #83

A New Way to Resolve Extreme Conflict in Family Businesses Family members may feel “trapped” in conflicts, unable to resolve substantive issues without damaging their familial relationships. This often leads to disputes that persist for decades.

Managing Emotional Minefields Within Family Businesses We're all only human -- but preventing outbursts in front of customers and other non-family members preserves your reputation and relationships with stakeholders.

Too Much Love in the Family Can Hurt Strong family relationships are good for business, but being too insular will blind the family to great ideas from the outside and actually hurt return on equity.

Getting Along: Straight Talk from a Family Business Veteran Trust people. Walk around a lot so you meet more non-relatives. And don't show off your new car when the firm is tightening the belt.

'Performance-Enhancing Vices': Good for Business, Bad for Relationships Advisor and author David Werdiger talks about the business benefits and personal drawbacks of being selfish and stubborn.

Divorce Can Hollow out a Family Business — But it Doesn’t Have to It’s surprising how many business-owning families fail to properly plan for this worst case scenario. Here's advice from two experts about protecting the business.

Family CEO Burnout: How to Prevent, Recognize and Deal With It How can leaders keep themselves from getting worn down or recognize burnout in themselves? And what should family members do if they see their leader struggling?

How Family Business Leaders Can Encourage Both Devotion and Performance Family firms should use HRM practices that balance collaboration and monitoring for best results.

'Let’s Not Go There...' Taboos in Family Business Many families dare not discuss certain topics because they want to preserve the illusion of harmony and unity. But these taboo topics are bound to erupt sooner or later.

Are Your Family and Business Thriving Together - Or Undermining Each Other? Like organisms in nature, the relationship between family and business can be mutually beneficial or detrimental. Here's how to strengthen both spheres.

Families Can Overcome Generational Conflicts Over Technology A study of Italian firms shows how differences can be resolved, so the company can honor tradition and still make progress.

What Families in Conflict Can Learn from Baseball and Teachers Using a hybrid of mediation and arbitration offers a real chance to preserve family relationships during a difficult period of conflict.

Family Emotions Can Drive Business Decisions Because personal and business dynamics are so closely intertwined, private disagreements and personal histories inevitably spill over into the business.

How Family Firms Can Prevent (or Cool Down) Sibling Rivalries Koch Industries, McCain Foods and Robert Mondavi were all roiled by sibling battles. These three strategies will help you prevent it.

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Women Can Help Family Firms Innovate – but Socioemotional Factors Matter

Family Businesses Must Prepare for the Unthinkable

How Families Can Override Emotions to Make Better Judgments

What the Public Gets Wrong About Family Businesses

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Recent

How Families Can Move From Conflict to Forgiveness

by Kimberly Eddleston / Interviews

Set boundaries clearly and often, understand your own hot buttons, and be genuinely curious about why the other side thinks the way they do. Read more...

What Japan's Oldest Businesses Can Teach Us About Longevity

by Peter Vogel / Commentary

Should longevity always be the goal? And if so, what exactly should endure—the operating company, a particular business model, or the family enterprise system itself? Read more...

When Family Business Reputation Helps—and When It Hurts

by Philipp Jaufenthaler, Roland Schroll, and Franz Kellermanns / Research Insight

Family firms often enjoy strong consumer goodwill, until they engage in deliberate misconduct -- when higher expectations can produce deeper disappointment and sharper backlash. Read more...

Why People Risk Belongs on Every Family Business Board Agenda

by Claudia Binz Astrachan and Lars B. Sonderegger / Practice Insight

Boards routinely scrutinize financial and strategic risk. But talent shortages, leadership culture problems, and succession gaps can erode long-term value just as quickly. Read more...

by Sara Stern

How to Run a Family Business Successfully

by Kerry Hannon

Why Do We Treat Strangers Better Than Family Members?

by Kimberly Eddleston

Define Your Legacy, and Strengthen Your Business and Your Impact

by Matthew Fox, Kimberly Wade-Benzoni, and Jeffrey Covin

How Families Can Re-Engage Reluctant Successors Without Pressure

by John Cater, Roland Kidwell, Megan Harper, and Marilyn Young

Listening to the Family: The Strategic Value of Surveys

by Claudia Binz Astrachan