The holiday season can be a bit spicy with business families.
However, most families would like to have a calm, enjoyable Thanksgiving, and they should! For many family business families, there is an ever present undercurrent of stress coming from the family business.
Highly effective family leaders know how to set the tone and help set the table for a Happy Thanksgiving.
You’ve heard the old saying, “A place for everything and everything in its place.” No better time to remember that then during the holiday season.
A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place!
I can remember as if it was yesterday, I would walk into the family holiday gathering and consciously remind myself to give Uncle Tim a big hug and set the tone for frivolity and love. This was not always easy as I was often frustrated with him back at the family business. The rest of my family would follow my lead.
I want to encourage all of you to accept and understand that having a family business is almost always going to involve some bit of discord. Every family has got some of it.
That shouldn’t take away from the ability to pause and enjoy each other at Thanksgiving. You should be able to genuinely express gratitude for one another. You should also be able to genuinely engage each other in meaningful dialogue during the holiday.
Being a business professional means being able to leave your grievances and disagreements at the office. Expressing gratitude or bringing a warm heart to the Thanksgiving dinner is a gift you give to yourself and your family.
I believe most of us think if we are warm-hearted at the Thanksgiving table it will send the wrong signal or be disingenuous because of the heartburn that’s happening within the business.
Minimize the Heartburn!
Work issues should live at work. Learn to be a loving family at home.
So enjoy your holiday season! Realize when you are involved in a family business there’s going to be a certain level of heartburn. Keep getting educated about how to minimize the heartburn and navigate the complexities of a family business!
Play to your potential!
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.
