Posts Tagged ‘Family Business’

Manage You Family Business

When you work with the family, between professional and personal boundaries are likely to overlap. When is the time to take the role of older, and when to the others take the time to retreat?

As we know, the relationship is too close, like pairs or related blood are quite complicated. However, it is even harder if the one person, you are connected in two roles simultaneously.

Most family businesses began to emerge after World War II, which means, in the near future, it would take ownership change, from the father or grandfather to the younger generation. In the transition period, many families and business owners will wrestle with issues such as transfer of power, build leadership, and prepare the next generation to become management. So there is no misunderstanding between you and your family while running a business, check tips from Joanna L. Krotz, Microsoft Small Business Kit author of the following:

1. Clear expectations and keep good company.
Family firms most often get into trouble because the owner can not distinguish between what can be tolerated for the family and what can be understood by the family. Participation in the family based on the infinite love. If you make a mistake, the family still can not forgive you.

While in business, a person’s involvement should be based on the success, ability, and according to standards. If you do wrong, there will be a price to pay. To prevent confusion and the failure of the trip, make sure each family member know exactly what capacity. Describe the responsibilities, the job parameters, objectives, and what will be evaluated. Do not assume that your brother can read your mind.

More important again, make sure that when evaluating the performance, everything is based on professional standards, rather than tolerance family. When you’re going to reprimand those employees as well as your brother, give feedback in a professional tone.

2. Make sure names are meaningful positions
There are certain families who hire his brother for the job that is high enough. Managers, directors, and others. Sometimes, these positions are given only by a sense of “good baseball.” In fact, such strategic positions need people who do have the competence. If you choose the origin of man, might make the company lose money because of wrong decisions and eventually spread to everywhere.

3. Compensation and transparent human resources policies
Generally, in a family business, the labor that has no blood relationship will feel as “second class citizens” in the company. No one will say clearly that, however, staff who are not family members understand that promotions and higher salaries are destined only for those who have blood relations.

When things like this happen, could-be employees who are not members of the family feel better and not have to try doing it half-hearted job. Try to think of ways how the employees who are not family members can feel appreciated. Some business owners try to avoid misunderstandings with the announcement early on in front, that there promotions for those who are not members of the family. Every business owner should be able to create an atmosphere of equality, in order to avoid an unnecessary sense of jealousy.

4. Save work in the office, and family problems at home
It may seem very tempting to mix the issues of personal and work problems. However, it would be wise if you could share where the issue where the issue of personal and professional. When there is a family member who talked about family matters at the office, try to hold back and ask her to hold talks until after office hours. So did the opposite. Do not be goaded, because emotion and appraisal can be very disturbed when the two things are mixed.

5. Help from outside
Career consultants, specialists, and many other professions that can help you deal with problems that might come to disturb your family’s company. You can ask advice for complex issues, such as firing members of the family, build a bridge between family values and business practices, and others. We recommend that an outsider is not a lawyer or accountant.

Keep Talking
Communication, as we know, is crucial. Communication should be running smoothly, consistent, and meaningful. This is very important to keep the business running according to its path. Communication is the key to resolve the issue before it all fall apart. Family meeting each week will be a good opportunity for everyone who joined in the company talk about things outside of work in an environment that did not threaten.