The Fun Season of Scheduling the Cottage…not!
We just completed the weekend that us winter-weary Canadians somehow use to signify the start of summer. For those who own cottages, it is often the week of getting the dock in the water, the waterlines filled, the septic treated and an overall assessment of what damage winter did to your place. It is the […]
Give Me Some Space And Hear Me Scream!
I know this heading is not what most advisors face on a regular basis. Is it really the best advice to give someone? If your kids (at any age) conveyed this message to you what would you do? As a parent myself, I know I would choose to listen. I would give them space and let them […]
Family Business Conflict
Conflict stinks and it consumes way too much energy. It rarely gets resolved without some external assistance.
Why?!
People always ask me “What is my why??” Why do I do the work that I do with Family Businesses?
Merry Christmas!
What a great year it has been! Working with families in business has always been satisfying but no more so than this year! I am so lucky in that I get to work with a spectrum of families that work well together, but need a bit of help in their communication, all the way along […]
The Fear of Letting Go
In my many years of helping families explore transitioning their family business to the next generation, there is always an element of fear. This fear is multi-faceted. Fear of losing control of the company, fear of the next generation doing things differently, fear of not being needed; and a special one shared with me numerous times…a fear […]
Difficult Decisions in the Family Business
Being in business is often fraught with daily, difficult decisions. Some of these decisions are relatively minor and others can be deemed to be major. It is the major ones that have the most likelihood of disturbing the “norm” or what is perceived to be normal. The challenges and results of these major decisions are […]
4,000 Ways to Make Your Family Business Better!
Sorry to scare you into thinking this article was going to take a month to read! Okay, there might be 4,000 ways or more depending on how many articles you read about Family Business. I want to focus on #1 which is COMMUNICATION. Communication (or lack thereof) is almost always at the centre of any kind of Family […]
Sibling Rivalry is Alive and Well in the Family Business
This topic of sibling rivalry always comes up with my Family Business clients. As you know it is an often unspoken battle for victory (of any kinds) among siblings. Sibling rivalry often starts young as the “jockeying” for position in the family hierarchy presents itself in many ways. It could be athletics, academics, or even friendship circles. […]
What Are Your Intentions?
I hope you are well rested and ready to attack your “intentions” for 2018. I use the word “intentions” instead of the word goals, after a long discussion with a dear friend who spent some time explaining to me why she no longer uses “goals”. What is the difference you may ask? A goal can appear to […]
