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.

Search & Save Enter search below to create an easy reading list

Women Can Help Family Firms Innovate – but Socioemotional Factors Matter

Why Family Business Founders Struggle to Step Back During Succession

Why Family Business Strengths Can Become Weaknesses in a Crisis

Can a Family Stay a Business Family After Selling the Business?

Popular Topics

Money

Financing, revenue, profits

Team

Staffing, succession, relationships

Manage

Best practices for running the business

Grow

Increase customers and revenue

Strategy

Making better decisions

Operations

How the best firms run

Recent

Fair Does Not Always Mean Equal: Ownership Decisions in Family Business

by Claudia Binz Astrachan, Lindsay Hardie, and Joseph Astrachan / Practice Insight

Families often struggle to decide whether shares should be divided equally among children or reflect leadership, sacrifice, and “sweat equity.” Read more...

Strong Family Businesses Think Short Term and Long Term at the Same Time

by Vanessa Diaz Moriana, Eric Clinton, Catherine Faherty, and Colm O'Gorman / Research Insight

In a crisis, family firms cannot afford to focus only on immediate survival or future legacy. The most resilient ones do both, drawing on past lessons, trusted relationships, and long-standing networks. Read more...

Helping Daughters Become Successful Family Business Leaders

by Simon Caspary and Tom Rüsen / Applied and Practice

Daughters can become strong and credible successors when families involve them early, clarify authority, support professional development, and make room for new models of leadership. Read more...

The Hidden Fault Lines That Threaten Family Enterprises

by Matthew Crudgington and Peter Vogel / Practice Insight

From death and divorce to disruption and disrepute: these 12 hidden risks can weaken family enterprises over time. Read more...

by Joseph Astrachan and Claudia Binz Astrachan

Things to Consider When Transferring Family Business Ownership

by Susan Lanz, Gary Burke, Kajsa Haag, and Omid Omidvar

How to Run a Family Business Successfully

by Kerry Hannon

Let the Next Generation of Family Firm Leaders Chart Their Own Path

by Klaus Lüber and Nadine Kammerlander

How Leaders Can Transfer Their Great Instincts to Successors

by Kimberly Eddleston