Continues to posit that anybody who chooses to combine their family with their business is either selfish, or nuts, because almost everything needed to make a business profitable conflicts with the needs of a happy family. "Family Business" demonstrably makes no sense - since for every success there are at least 10 failures. All sad, and most avoidable. From which we deduce that success or failure isn't a matter of luck, it's a function of knowledge, focus, skill, wisdom, effort, and discipline. Successful, multi-generational Business Families do the right things at the right time, and avoid doing the wrong things most of the time, in their businesses and in their families, to achieve long-term peace and prosperity. Family Business Best Practice imrpoves the prospects for business family success, the same way best practices generally improve efficiency and effectiveness in other types of organisation. This podcast focuses on family business conflict as a primary cause of family business failure - so we'll start by defining what we mean by "conflict". I'll follow that with an exploration of 50 of the most common causes of family business conflict, and explain how to prevent, avoid, and resolve them. I hope to make more sense of "Family Business" for anybody working in or with one.
Anybody choosing to combine a family with a business is nuts. Almost everything needed to create business success conflicts with the basic needs of a happy family.Because "Family Business" makes no sense, for every success there are at least 10 failures. That's sad and, in a lot of cases, entirely avoidable. What separates success from failure? Hint: it's definitely not Luck.Successful, multi-generational Business Families put a lot of careful thought and effort into doing the right things at the right time, while avoiding doing the wrong things, most of the time: (a) in their business, (b) in their family, and (c) between the two. They're committed to achieving long-term peace and prosperity in both their families AND their businesses, and refuse to sacrifice one to benefit or sustain the other. This is the essence of Family Business Best Practice - applying proven and relevant knowledge, focus, skill, and discipline to both family businesses and the business families that sit behind them.This series focuses on family conflict - a primary cause of family business failure - where either the family, the business, or both, fail. I'll share my learnings from almost 3 decades of working as a Solutionist with real Business Families - by exploring 50 of the most common causes of conflict I've dealt with. I'll also explain how to prevent, avoid, and resolve those conflicts. It's my belief that, for every acknowledged problem, a solution can be found, or constructed. My goal is to make more sense of "Family Business" - for family and business leaders; for anyone trapped inside a family business, and for anyone trying to help or advise family businesses.
We explain the nature and workings of Advisory Baords and why so many business families find them useful.
In many Family Businesses, female leaders work hard to create inclusive, collaborative, nurturing environments, but somehow end up with disempowered employees. It’s not what they want, but it seems to be what they get. A couple of decades of experience show these businesses significantly overrepresented amongst business families in conflict, compared to male-led family businesses in Australia, New Zealand, the USA, and Indonesia. Nobody talks about this. What’s going on?
6 minute overview explaining the nature and purpose of SAN, and how and why it could change your life as an adviser.
Cause #14 In this episode, I talk about Imposter Syndrome and how it often becomes a hidden source of conflict in family businesses. I explain how feelings of unworthiness and fear of being “found out” can drive leaders to overwork, micromanage, and create a culture of burnout and mistrust. I also share how developing a growth mindset, building self-awareness, and learning to trust and delegate can help overcome imposter syndrome — restoring confidence, balance, and psychological safety across the business.
Cause #13In this episode, I explain Founder Syndrome- how the passion, energy, and charisma that drive a founder to launch and grow a business can later become a risk if leadership doesn’t adapt as the business matures. I discuss the dangers of over-reliance on founders, the importance of shifting from “storming” to “norming” with systems and delegation, and how founders can transition into roles that enable sustainable growth and long-term success for both the family and the business.
Cause #12In this episode, I explain the relevance of Empathy (and lack of Empathy) as a common cause of family business conflict, and talk about how to use Empathy to help prevent, manage and resolve conflict.Most family business conflicts are rooted in emotional causes, rather than financial demands - so the highest likelihood of getting a good resolution requires effective emotional responses before anyone tries to address rational issues. Empathy is the foundation of all effective emotional responses.
Cause #11In this episode, I explain the relevance and application of Emotional Intelligence (“EQ”) to family business conflict. EQ is the ability to know, understand, and manage your own emotional drivers, and to respond effectively to those of others.Most family business conflicts are rooted in emotional causes, rather than financial demands - so their causes, and their best prospects for resolution, need to address emotional factors before any attempt is made to address rational issues.
Cause #10In this episode, I explain why most family business conflicts are rooted in emotional causes, rather than competitive financial demands, and why the resulting mindsets of family members can make or break the family and the business.I use Carol Dweck’s work on Fixed and Growth Mindsets to explain how you can foster the right mindsets in your family and business to minimise and resolve conflict.
Cause #09In this episode, I talk about how the conflicting needs and interests of individuals, families and family businesses can, at different times, be a powerful cause of conflict in both the family and the business …. and explain what you can do to minimise their impact.
Cause #08In this episode, I talk about the four parenting styles that can contribute to the many forms of conflict that arise in family business; explore how and why understanding a family’s history can help to identify the root causes of many family business conflicts …. and explain what you can do about it.
Cause #07In this episode, I talk about the conflicts that arise when dysfunctional personalities & disruptive behaviours impact family relations and business operations …. and explain what you can do to minimise their impact.
Cause #06In this episode, we talk about the challenges of 'fossilised leaders' in family business. A concept introduced by Jon around 15 years ago which describes leaders that are resistant to change. We discuss what causes it, how to spot it, how to respond to it, and most importantly, how to prevent it from happening.
Cause #05In this episode, we focus on broken promises and unmet expectations, emphasising that most conflicts stem from relational issues rather than financial ones. Categorising family members in business into three types: rebels, resenters, and submitters, each reacting differently to conflicts and unmet expectations.
Cause #04This episode talks about how and why different life stages create unavoidable tensions between different generations of family members working in a family business, as their personal and professional needs come into fierce competition at different times in their lives. I also provide practical suggestions for what to do about it.
Cause #03In this episode, we focus on narcissism as a significant factor in succession issues. Defining narcissism as a personality trait characterised by self-centeredness and a lack of empathy, explaining its evolutionary roots and how it manifests in varying degrees from healthy to grandiose narcissism.
Cause #02In this episode, we explore the inherent conflicts between family dynamics and business operations, positing that emotional relational issues, rather than financial ones, are often the root causes of these conflicts.
Cause #01In this episode, we talk about the differences that can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts that have deep roots in family dynamics, and how stresses that resolving these conflicts requires understanding the personalities involved and their impacts on behavior.
Thanks for stopping by, I'm Jon Kenfield, the host of the Family Business Challenge series: "Family Business" ... makes no sense! In this series, I'll be tackling 51 individual causes that affect Family Businesses. Focusing on family conflict - a primary cause of family business failure - where either the family, the business, or both, fail.I share my learnings from almost 3 decades of working as a Solutionist with real Business Families - by exploring 50 of the most common causes of conflict I've dealt with. I also explain how to prevent, avoid, and resolve those conflicts. For every acknowledged problem a solution can be found, or constructed.My goal is to help you make more sense of Family Business, whether you're in one, or trying to advise one or many.