December means we’re in the height of the holiday season, and that really does go for everyone—the number of religious holidays in December goes well into the double-digits, and this grows even further when factoring in secular celebrations. For business families, the season can be especially taxing, as many workplaces go into overdrive for the holiday rush, making it even harder to maintain a healthy separation of work and family life. In The Soul of the Family Business, Tom Hubler provides advice on managing work and home in order to make family celebrations more relaxed, personal, and meaningful for everyone involved.
2) Do your best to limit business discussions. Save them for the boardroom or for a regularly scheduled family meeting.
It’s obvious as a business family to say “no shop talk during the holidays,” but we all know that’s much easier said than done. As a business family, it’s natural to care about not just the family, but the business as well. In fact, it’s not uncommon for passionate business families to even enjoy talking about the business with each other casually, but the holidays should be a time to set business aside and focus on family as a family. We all know that the holiday season can be an intense time period for businesses, so there’s no need to put business on the backburner, but it is important to consciously structure family business discussion time so that it stays separate from family holiday rituals.
3) Finally, and most of all, have fun
For business families, it’s easy to feel as though we know our relatives intimately due to seeing them at work every day. But now is the time to take the chance to really appreciate their character outside of a work environment—engage with your siblings’ hobbies; spend quality time with family members not involved in the business, do whatever you can to remind each other that you love (and like) each other not just as coworkers, but first and foremost as family members. And please, do try to truly relax. It’s all too common for smart, organized, and ambitious businesspeople to bring that same mindset into the holidays, over-structuring a very self-conscious idea of “fun” without allowing themselves to live in the moment and simply have fun.
The Perfect Gift for the Business Family
While not every holiday involves the ritual of gift-giving, the joy of the season means that just about everybody is giving thanks to their loved ones and contemplating ways to show their gratitude. For those in business families, why not give a gift that can help strengthen the business and bring the family closer together? Tom Hubler’s new book, The Soul of the Family Business: A practical guide to family business success and a loving family, offers advice covering everything from holiday rituals (see above) to succession planning, family tension, and managing divergent family goals, as well as personal anecdotes, real-world case studies, and more. This book is perfect for any business family looking to solve problems or simply make their bonds as strong as possible. Find it in hardcover form on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, or at a bookstore near you. And of course, you can always contact Hubler for Business Families today to set up a free orientation meeting with Thomas Hubler, the expert on family business planning.
It’s obvious as a business family to say “no shop talk during the holidays,” but we all know that’s much easier said than done. As a business family, it’s natural to care about not just the family, but the business as well. In fact, it’s not uncommon for passionate business families to even enjoy talking about the business with each other casually, but the holidays should be a time to set business aside and focus on family as a family. We all know that the holiday season can be an intense time period for businesses, so there’s no need to put business on the backburner, but it is important to consciously structure family business discussion time so that it stays separate from family holiday rituals.
3) Finally, and most of all, have fun
For business families, it’s easy to feel as though we know our relatives intimately due to seeing them at work every day. But now is the time to take the chance to really appreciate their character outside of a work environment—engage with your siblings’ hobbies; spend quality time with family members not involved in the business, do whatever you can to remind each other that you love (and like) each other not just as coworkers, but first and foremost as family members. And please, do try to truly relax. It’s all too common for smart, organized, and ambitious businesspeople to bring that same mindset into the holidays, over-structuring a very self-conscious idea of “fun” without allowing themselves to live in the moment and simply have fun.
The Perfect Gift for the Business Family
While not every holiday involves the ritual of gift-giving, the joy of the season means that just about everybody is giving thanks to their loved ones and contemplating ways to show their gratitude. For those in business families, why not give a gift that can help strengthen the business and bring the family closer together? Tom Hubler’s new book, The Soul of the Family Business: A practical guide to family business success and a loving family, offers advice covering everything from holiday rituals (see above) to succession planning, family tension, and managing divergent family goals, as well as personal anecdotes, real-world case studies, and more. This book is perfect for any business family looking to solve problems or simply make their bonds as strong as possible. Find it in hardcover form on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, or at a bookstore near you. And of course, you can always contact Hubler for Business Families today to set up a free orientation meeting with Thomas Hubler, the expert on family business planning.
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