Everyone running a family business should agree on this - and preferably before the confusion becomes a problem, as I've seen it can.
The family dinner is an opportunity to talk on a personal level. However, it is NOT the right place to discuss business decisions.
The challenges of not having clear dividing lines are many:
- Few people are prepared to make decisions when they show up at a family event
- Some family businesses have decision makers who are not family members and therefore do not attend family gatherings
- Taking minutes and following a formal decision-making procedure at a social event can be difficult for obvious reasons
- Family members who are not involved in the running of the business can feel left out
- Social business chatter can be annoying and stressful, both for family members who are active in the business and those who are not
It's important that we talk openly about the unique challenges that family businesses face.
Do you have any experience of the family time/work time divide in family businesses?
