It’s yet another February, and that means it’s time to break out the clichés – love is in the air! No, this isn’t a schmaltzy essay about how “the business is like a couple in love” or some other stretch of the imagination. However, with hearts everywhere, and displays of love and gratitude on the minds of most, it does make sense to examine the cornerstone of a successful family business—a loving, supportive, and healthy family unit.
Previously we’ve covered the importance of crafting a Common Family Vision™, which helps families align their individual and shared values into a direction that guides each member’s unique path, as well as the path of the family and family business. While the Common Family Vision™ helps guide a family in the direction of happiness, there’s more to the day-to-day nurturing of happiness than simply a shared set of values. In The Soul of the Family Business, Tom Hubler examines David Olson, Ph.D.’s “three characteristics that create healthy families,” which are “flexibility, togetherness, and communication.” Olson explains how families can plot a graph between the first two characteristics, aiming for a family that sits comfortably in the middle, without falling into the extremes (overly rigid or flexible family structures and overly distant or close levels of family togetherness). By using the third characteristic (communication) to listen to each other’s needs, address issues, and come to mutual understandings, a family can find happiness in the middle of the graph: supportive without being smothering, and providing healthy guidance without rigid constraints.
Of course, landing perfectly in the center of this graph is easier said than done. Many families find themselves working best within certain quadrants during certain stages of life or when connected by unique personalities, but the goal is the same: stay away from the extremes in order to find a balance. Families find that striking this balance requires a variety of approaches, systems, and challenges. From reminding your family that you need to drop the business meetings and just have fun, to celebrating and carrying forward unique family rituals, to re-affirming the Common Family Vision™ that helps align every member’s values, there are countless ways to keep the whole family moving forward together.
Of course, landing perfectly in the center of this graph is easier said than done. Many families find themselves working best within certain quadrants during certain stages of life or when connected by unique personalities, but the goal is the same: stay away from the extremes in order to find a balance. Families find that striking this balance requires a variety of approaches, systems, and challenges. From reminding your family that you need to drop the business meetings and just have fun, to celebrating and carrying forward unique family rituals, to re-affirming the Common Family Vision™ that helps align every member’s values, there are countless ways to keep the whole family moving forward together.
Healthy Home, Healthy Business
“The health of a family can be measured by the bottom line of its family business,” Tom Hubler writes in his new book, The Soul of the Family Business: A practical guide to family business success and a loving family. It seems simple, but it bears repeating: healthy families develop healthy businesses, and healthy businesses allow families to continue growing in healthy ways. There hasn’t been much “business talk” with all the discussion of happy, healthy families, but the truth is, all of this discussion is absolutely vital for a successful family-run business. Throughout his book, Hubler offers wisdom and explores the deep connection between family home lives and business success through personal anecdotes, real-world case studies, useful tools and frameworks, and more. To find all this, including more tips for building a happy family (and by extension a healthy business), pick up The Soul of the Family Business, available in hardcover form on Amazon.com or at a bookstore near you. And of course, you can always contact Hubler for Business Families to set up a free orientation meeting with Thomas Hubler, the expert on family business planning.
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