Family Businesses

How do you pen a blog post about working with family businesses as a consultant without pissing off current clients? Sounds like a pretty complex scenario, and it is. On the one hand, I can do a dirty expose of the internal power struggles that occur on a daily basis between family members. While on the other hand, I can do an insightful review of how they overcome significant odds to thrive at high levels of success. Or I can go with the third hand and simply describe how family businesses are really very similar to any other type of business ownership structure.

Since it's my blog post and I truly value and respect all my clients, let's jump into the similarity thing. For that, I've created this handy, easy-to-read table.

So, there you have it, the many categories that completely align between a family business and a non-family business. I'm certain there are plenty more and that I could also draft an article that focuses on all their differences. But at the end of the day, as a consultant, it's my responsibility to look at each one of these categories and figure out how I can lend some credible and effective guidance, regardless of business type.

By the way, that responsibility is not just mine alone, it's shared by each one of my clients as well. The effort to improve a business in whatever area needs attention must be fully collaborative among all the business stakeholders.

With that, I'll take the small leap from my soapbox back to the ground. Feel free to share this with whomever you think will enjoy it or grab a small nugget of value to apply to their company. Oh, and don't forget to ask yourself what you are doing today to Achieve Greatness.