RESOURCES FOR FAMILY BUSINESSES IN TRANSITION.

A pioneer in family business consulting, Tom Hubler has authored many articles drawn from experience in his practice and study. We've gathered a few of Tom's most insightful and illuminating pieces in PDF form for you to read and enjoy.


FAMILY BUSINESS LEADERSHIP – PART II
Part II is a series written by Tom Hubler that focuses on the topic of family business leadership.
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business – January 2008
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This article discusses the importance of leaders to integrate their mind and body, and how we need to "embody" our leadership. The concept of "embodiment" is one that Richard Strozzi-Heckler of the Strozzi Institute located in Petaluma, California, uses in his workshops and leadership training programs.

FAMILY BUSINESS LEADERSHIP – PART I
Part I in a three-part series on the topic of leadership in the business family.
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business – November 2007
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One of the myths in family owned businesses is that leaders are born, not made. Tom's belief is that leaders can be successfully trained and developed. This series will begin with a discussion of the three C's, and subsequent articles will discuss the integration of mind and body, as well as emotional intelligence.

HEALTHY FAMILIES
Part II of the series on the characteristics of healthy families.
Part II of the series on the characteristics of healthy families.
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business – September 2007
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Tom Hubler makes the case for building the emotional equity of your family, not only for the sake of the family, but also for the sake of the business. Research indicates that families that attend to family matters not only have closer families, but also experience businesses that are more profitable.

HAPPY FAMILIES
Part I in a two-part series on a trio of characteristics that create healthy families.
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business – July 2007
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One of the distinguishing characteristics about successful family businesses is that their success is due, in large part, to positive healthy family relationships. Consequently, healthy family relationships positively influence the culture of family businesses and create a significant impact on the culture of the business. As a result, healthy family relationships impact the bottom line of family businesses.

ROCK SOLID
Creating a strong family foundation on which to build your business
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business – May 2007
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This article discusses what you, as families in business, need to have to be a successful family business.

This article also discusses benchmarks for family businesses to use in evaluation of where they stand in regards to the infrastructure of a successful family business.

THE POWERS THAT BE
Understanding the give and take of sovereignty in family business
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business – March 2007
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This month?s article discusses the issue of sovereignty.

Powerful parents in the family business often bring their clout as business leaders into the family and inadvertently threaten the authority of their adult children. By the same token, adult children may be reluctant to share their concerns because of the working relationship with their parents. This article sheds some light on this dynamic and creates an opportunity for members of family businesses to clarify their expectations.

Coming Into Money
Preparing your children for a lifetime of wealth
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business – January 2007
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This month's article relates to preparing children for wealth.

Most families address wealth education with their children as they do sex education--they avoid it. The reality being that if you, as a parent, wait and talk to your children later, there will be a certain set of issues to address. On the other hand, if you talk with your children early and prepare them, there will be an entirely different set of issues. The questions you must ask are which set of issues would you rather contend with, and which set of issues will provide you with the greatest opportunity to influence and guide your children? I believe there is a definite benefit in talking with your children early on, especially in the context of your family and your family?s values, as it will help prepare them for the responsibilities associated with having wealth.

I'm curious about your thoughts on this issue and look forward to your comments.

Regards,
Tom Hubler

Play Ball!
Thomas M. Hubler
Defining ground rules helps everyone feel like part of the team.
Article from Minnesota Business – November 2006
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Emotionally Speaking
Thomas M. Hubler
Exploring the poignant points of passing the torch.
Article from Minnesota Business – September 2006
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Indelible Fingerprint
Thomas M. Hubler
Family firms need emotional as well as business savvy.
Article from Minnesota Business – May 2006
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Rites of Passage
Thomas M. Hubler
Setting expectations and criteria for next generation
leaders is essential.
Article from Minnesota Business – March 2006
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Show Them the Money
Thomas M. Hubler
Teaching the next generation how to handle wealth.
Article from Minnesota Business – January 2006
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The Forest for the Trees
Thomas M. Hubler
To enjoy the holidays?keep family business at work. By talking too much about the business during family celebrations you could inadvertently alienate family members not actively involved in the business.
Article from Minnesota Business – November 2005
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The Price of Peacekeeping
Thomas M. Hubler
Small problems ignored become very large problems.
Article from Minnesota Business – July 2005
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Forgiveness as an Intervention in Family-Owned Business: A New Beginning
Thomas M. Hubler
This article explores the notion of bringing a family business?s family values and traditions regarding religion and forgiveness into their everyday lives to create healing when family business differences have broken or severed family relationships.
Article from Family Business Review – June 2005
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Sibling Rivalry
Thomas M. Hubler
Failing to plan for trouble is planning to fail.
Article from Minnesota Business – May 2005
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Family Circles of Influence
Thomas M. Hubler
The importance of defining expectations
Article from Minnesota Business – March 2005
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The Ties that Bind
Thomas M. Hubler
How to keep the "family" in family business
Article from Minnesota Business – January 2005
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An Article by Thomas M. Hubler
This is an electronic version of an article published in Family Business Review. Complete citation information for the final version of the paper, as published in the print edition of Family Business Review.
Click here for the article

TEN MOST PREVALENT OBSTACLES TO FAMILY BUSINESS SUCCESSION PLANNING
By Thomas M. Hubler
In a recent presentation at the University of St. Thomas Center for Family Enterprise Family Business Forum, John Davis, family business consultant, researcher and educator, commented that everything consultants like himself teach, their clients already know. In order to be successful, they need to confront or deal with the obstacles. Of course, the first question that popped into my mind was: What are those issues? As I looked back over my practice, I began to identify some common obstacles. But, before I name these obstacles for discussion, I will describe the context in which I work with my clients.
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FAMILY BUSINESS CONSULTANTS AS LEADERS
By Thomas M. Hubler
Working with family businesses as a consultant is one of the most awesome responsibilities I can imagine. It incorporates managing family issues and concerns as well as business issues and concerns and the interrelationship between the two. The impact of choices made by the consultant can have far- reaching effects for both family and business that can impact generations of family members.
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PLAN NOW TO ENSURE A SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION...LATER
It's important to understand what makes ownership and management transitions in family-owned businesses so challenging: the overlap between two separate and distinct organizations-the family and the business. Tom Hubler examines the family and business and offers four key strategies for creating balance between family and business.
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