It is easy to imagine situations where not everyone in the owner family should have influence over the running of the family business.
If discussions within the extended family often turn into arguments, and well-intentioned contributions take the form of inappropriate interference, then it may be best to 'fence in the company' so that only the shareholders, the board of directors, and the executive board have a real say.
BUT, because there is a big but...
Even if the potential heirs in the owner family do not have formal ownership, it is clearly advantageous to involve them in the business as early as possible, among other things to lay the foundation for their future in (or outside) it.
In fact, the family forum should, as a starting point, include everyone from the owner family who has a current or future interest in what happens to the family business.
Could this end up being a burden for the parties involved in the short term? Yes. But that doesn't have to be a bad thing!
It is preferable for any difficulties in cooperation to arise in the family forum, well before the next generation takes ownership and perhaps joins the board of directors or day-to-day management.
In this way, the family can develop cooperation in a forum with an advisory function, where serious friction between family members can be handled without directly affecting the operation of the family business.
