You’ve heard sayings like, “Behind every great man is a great woman!” (I’ve seen that firsthand in so many family businesses.) Here’s another one for you, “Behind every great family business is a great family!”
Let’s face it – I’ve had the opportunity to work around some really great businesses that have not reached their potential because of poor family communication and dynamics.
Most small business coaches are equipped to help the business with the fundamentals of business: operations, marketing and finances. Yet, most of them are not equipped to engage in what I call family-centered coaching.
Family-centered coaches know the importance of the family dynamics and relationships and how they can severely impact the running of the business.
Many of the exercises in our Family Business Playbook can help the family bridge those two important ecosystems: the running of a business, and the creation of a strong family.
If the business is strong and the family relationships are weak, the business could eventually fail or not successfully transition to the next generation.
Family-Centered Coaching
Some examples of family-centered coaching exercises are about learning to:
- Give and receive feedback, without taking it personally
- Identify family players’ inherent strengths to put them in the best position to succeed
- The difference between coaching, mentoring and managing
- Identify and move past old communication patterns
- See conflict as a healthy, important ingredient in a strong family
- Set goals and hold each other accountable and still enjoy the family dinner
We all know how intimidating or daunting it can be to dive into some of these emotionally-charged topics. That’s where a coaching mindset and learning mindset can change the tone and create new levels of family success.
Running a business is more challenging than ever. That’s why it’s more important than ever to make sure that your family team is operating at a high level. They need to be able to deal with the inherent challenges in every family business.
Every great sports team knows the value of having a coach on the sidelines. Someone who can help the team identify areas to improve so they can win in a highly competitive environment.
“Behind every great family is a courageous family leader!”
Rather than shy away from mixing family and business, smart family business leaders find ways to navigate those two worlds. They realize the cohesiveness and strength of the family is like the center wheel of their overall business machine.
Well-designed coaching programs are always focused on producing results. A good family business coach will help you connect the dots between stronger family relationships and stronger business results.
Don’t shy away from family dynamics. Lean into them. Bring a warm heart and a clear set of objectives and you will be very successful.
We can help you design and implement your own family coaching program. We will help you better utilize proven practices that will lead to stronger results and long-term success.
Coach Pete
Pete Walsh offers family business consulting services, workshops, tools and resources as the founder of the Family Business Performance Center. Subscribe to his newsletter or get in touch to get actionable insights to help your family business grow for generations to come.
This exercise and many more are in my Family Business Playbook to help your family win!
