​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

Perpetuating The Family Business
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - September 2009
This article discusses the role of the non-family manager in a family business, which sometimes can be a tricky one. The non-family manager position requires someone with strong business skills and at the same time, he or she must be an effective coach and teacher for the next generation and is required to manage the politics of the family and not get caught in the middle.

Family Business In Uncertain Economic Times
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - May 2009
This article highlights the importance of having a business plan. When it comes to tough economic times family businesses are not exempt from the impact - it is all around us. Business has to be conducted just a little bit differently. The key is to success in tough times is have a plan. One of my mentors, the late Bill Knowlan used to say, "A plan that is not working is better than no plan at all." This is certainly true in today's environment. My hope is that you will create a plan to manage for success in these tough economic times.

I Wish We Could Have Had This Conversation Before We Married
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - March 2009
The article focuses on one of the most painful issues I come across in my work with family-owned businesses having to do with the in-laws joining the family business. As a result of a new family member not understanding the expectations of the family in regards to their role, frustration and hurt feelings occur. Entering a new marriage and entering a family is always a challenge, but in the context of a family-owned business it is even more challenging.

The Last Challenge Of Entrepreneurship - Part IV
Part IV is the fourth and final of a series of four articles written by Tom Hubler that focus on the topic of succession planning. 
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - January 2009
This article focuses on service and philanthropy and the role these play with an entrepreneur. From my perspective, it is the responsibility of the entrepreneur to coordinate and sponsor these events with their family, including their adult children, spouses and grandchildren.

The Last Challenge Of Entrepreneurship - Part III
Part III is the third of a series of four articles written by Tom Hubler that focus on the topic of succession planning.
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - November 2008
This article focuses on the question of finding a replacement for an entrepreneur, and is truly a vexing question in the context of family businesses. From my perspective, it is almost impossible to select a replacement - the only way to do that is to have the entrepreneur to become an architect or designer of the new system. The new system includes governance, as well as the leadership system within the business. It is a daunting task for many entrepreneurs, but for those who have implemented active boards of directors with outside advisors the results speak for themselves.

Family Business Leadership - Part II
Part II is a series that focuses on the topic of family business leadership.
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - January 2008
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
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.
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - September 2007
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
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
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
This 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
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. 

​The Last Challenge Of Entrepreneurship - Part II
Part II is the second of a series of four articles written by Tom Hubler that focus on the topic of succession planning.
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - September 2008
This article is a continuation of the discussion on the last challenge of entrepreneurship. It focuses on legacy and the non-financial aspects of legacy that, according to an Allianz study, are 10 times more important then the financial aspects of inheritance. With that thought in mind, I encourage you to pursue and fine-tune your legacy. 

The Last Challenge Of Entrepreneurship - Part I
Part I is the first of a series of four articles that focus on the topic of succession planning.
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - July 2008
Letting go and saying good-bye to our careers is something that is difficult for all of us. It is particularly difficult in the context of a family business where owner-entrepreneurs have devoted a major and significant portion of their work life to their company and career. The stress of this period can be alleviated by planning and using it as an opportunity to redefine your role in the company. From my perspective, entrepreneurs don’t have to leave their companies; they just need to change their job descriptions.

Selling The Family Business - What About The Boss?
This article explores the B.O.S.S. concept for family business management.
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - May 2008
One of the more perplexing questions for family businesses is what to do when there are either no children or children who are not interested in the family business. In this case, the option of selling is always a consideration, but many times the decision to sell can be an emotionally wrenching one. This article explores how to use the B.O.S.S. concept to discover how to proceed. 

Family Business Leadership - Part III
Part III is the third in a series of three articles that focus on the topic of family business leadership.
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - March 2008
This is the final segment in a series of three articles I have written on leadership. The article discusses the integration of emotional intelligence into the leadership process. Effective leadership basically integrates the notion of somantics into the leadership process. I believe somantics is one of the keys to fully developing your emotional intelligence, which has to do with the awareness of self and others.

​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.

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. 

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.

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.

​Emotionally Speaking
Thomas M. Hubler
Exploring the poignant points of passing the torch.
Article from Minnesota Business - September 2006

Rites Of Passage
Thomas M. Hubler
Setting expectations and criteria for next generation
leaders is essential.
Article from Minnesota Business - March 2006

Show Them The Money
Thomas M. Hubler
Teaching the next generation how to handle wealth.
Article from Minnesota Business - January 2006

​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

The Price Of Peacekeeping
Thomas M. Hubler
Small problems ignored become very large problems. 
Article from Minnesota Business - July 2005

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

Family Circles Of Influence
Thomas M. Hubler
The importance of defining expectations
Article from Minnesota Business - March 2005

Ties That Bind
Thomas M. Hubler
How to keep the "family" in family business 
Article from Minnesota Business - January 2005