Yesterday we talked about communication. Today, a bit more.

I am with three generations of a family business right now at an offsite business and family retreat. The first generation founders are here, several of their kids in the second generation and the grandkids are here. They are all sitting at the table as equals. Yes, some have more experience than others but the point of the outing is to help G3 understand the business and the responsibilities and opportunities of being in a family business. G3 ranges from new college grad and down to toddler. (The toddlers are not at the table yet!). It also helps G1 and G2 get to know G3 in a different light.

There are educational and recreational sessions all aimed at the long term success of the business. These retreats are now an annual event.

The other consultant is from the Family Business Consulting Group
(www.efamilybusiness.com). I know many of my readers are in family business and there are some solid resources on the site. If you need an introduction I can do that for you also.

When is the last time you took the time to get on the same sheet of music with your family? Do your kids know the score? Do they feel able to speak up? How about you and your siblings? Parents? You get the point. You don’t need to run a several hundred million dollar business to invest time in strengthening your family ties.

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