Family Businesses Don’t Have To Be Difficult
Family Business Consulting, Advisory & Therapy
“We are 4 siblings in a family business… We had issues between us that were going on for 30 years. We tried getting help from different professionals, but nothing helped us resolve them. Working with Dr Lami was the first time in 30 years that we felt we were making some progress. She touched upon core issues… I now understand why getting help from a coach or a business advisor alone may not be enough… a trained psychologist is what the family needed.”
RAV, Arizona, US
Having family relationships and being in business together often lead to issues that are difficult to navigate and are heightened by the emotional bonds between relatives. This undermines both relationships and the running of the business. For instance:
- Your family patriarch does not let go despite saying they do, thereby staying in control.
- Boundaries are not respected and responsibilities are not shared fairly, leaving you feeling taken advantage of and resentful.
- You are not given credibility, left feeling that you are not heard or needing to prove yourself.
- You do not see eye to eye with the others on how to run the business making little progress.
This requires specialist skills, sensitivity and an understanding of family system dynamics. Dr Lami, a family business psychologist, experienced it first-hand growing up with her family’s business. This gives her both a personal and professional understanding of the challenges faced by families in business together.
For more information on Family Business Consulting and advice please get in touch here →
Dr Lami’s Family Business Consulting services include:
Title
Resolving Conflict in a Family Business
It’s not unusual for conflicts to arise between family business members, as each person has their own motivations, perceptions of each other, viewpoints of the family history and fairness.
Unless addressed properly in a careful manner, these breakdowns usually cause wider repercussions, creating significant barriers to progress in the business, and also have a negative effect on other areas of life.
However, when given the opportunity to voice their opinion and express their differences, the result is surprising! Family coaching or therapy in a safe and constructive environment helps families understand the root of conflicts, how to resolve them, and discover the best way to move forward in their professional and personal lives.
Improving Communication
It is common for families to experience hurdles in comminications for various reasons. For instance, sometimes a family member feels alienated because they hold different views and do not feel safe or have the confidence to express them, which can lead to passive-aggressive behaviours. Others tend to be overly confident or controlling and overrides others views.
If you’re struggling with family relationships, communication and business issues, and are looking for a way to improve business productivity, then family-business consulting combined with coaching and therapy is a great place to start.
Dr Lami is highly experienced and trained in understanding family dynamics and identifying the unconscious aspects that are at play, which limit progress. She will help you to overcome issues in communication between relatives and help improve personal relationships to promote progression in performance for their business.
For more information please get in touch here →
Family Constitution
A family constitution is a formal document which sets out the rights, values, responsibilities, and rules applying to stakeholders in a family business. It provides plans and structures to deal with situations which arise in the course of the life span of a family busines.
But it is more than that. We all know that plans and structures by themselves do not breed success, but that healthy relationships do. Many families neglect to include in their constitutions important matters relating to non-financial and non-business wellbeing, matters that impact the family unit and its future generations.
That’s why it is extremely important and valuable to create a document that it is more than a dry family constitution, but one that becomes the glue that holds the family together.
Next Generation Coaching & Mentoring
While family businesses have both special advantages and difficulties, the next generation in a family company faces a unique set of challenges.
A conflict between finding their own career path or joining the family business often arises. This can lead to tension, frustration, and an overall communication gap where these younger family members feel that their voice is not heard or important.
Careful preparation in your development is absolutely vital to the successful evolution of your family, family business, your relationships or in sustaining your wealth. This is discussed in more detail on the ‘next generation coaching & mentoring’ page.
Dr Lami offers family business psychology, coaching and mentoring to help equip the next generation with the tools and resources needed to ensure emotional and financial wellbeing moving forward.
Addressing other matters
Quite often during my work with family members, other matters surface, which needs to be dealt with, for instance:
- Understanding their relationship with money and its impact on the running of the business
- Learning about thier money personalities and how they impact the running of business
- Helping integrate new family members
- Developing leadership skills
- Appreciating strengths of family members and playing to their strengths