Jon Kenfield, Author at The Solutionist Group

Significant Advice for Significant Clients

“There are certain things that are fundamental to human fulfillment. The essence of these needs is captured in the phrase;to live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy.The need to live is our physical need for such things as food, clothing, shelter, economical well-being, health. The need to love is our social need to […]

Why Business Families, and Family Businesses, need Boards

Background Family Businesses are the engine room of the Australian economy. They employ over 50% of the Australian workforce and generate over 50% of GDP. Family Business is not small business, although many Family Businesses are small. They also comprise approximately 100 of the 500 largest companies in Australia. Many are large corporations. However, and […]

Life Lesson #3: Rites of Passage and Growth Mindset

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” – Charles Darwin Rites are solemn or ceremonial activities. They can be publicly prescriptive, as in religious ceremonies, or privately improvised, in personal development activities. Rites of Passage originated as ancient, critical markers of […]

Life Lesson #2: Emotional vs Rational Elements in Relationship Conflicts

Observations Several decades ago I began to focus the attentions of my commercial dispute resolution practice on family business conflicts. It soon became apparent that, to a far greater extent than with commercial disputes, I needed to really understand the characters, personalities, and back stories of the humans I was working with before I could […]

Life Lesson #1: Leopards don’t change their spots

Observations Mediating family business tensions shows that understanding the characters, personalities, and life stories of relevant family members is at least as important as the technical skills and processes used to help resolve their conflict. Without an empathic understanding of what’s driving the humans, I can’t accurately detect, much less help them frame for use, […]

Why I feel like a Goose

Why I feel like a Goose I’ve been a Family Business Solutionist for many years – acting as a best practice adviser, mediator, and strategic problem-solver. Generally, and despite the complexity and unpredictability baked into the family business sector, we’ve achieved good outcomes. BUT, when engagements last longer than expected, and morph into something quite […]

Inflation Fears Halt Succession Plans

Déjà vu? When the GFC hit (2007 – 2009), the succession plans of many family businesses came to an abrupt halt as legions of outgoing leaders suddenly re-cast themselves into the roles of business heroes and saviours – ostensibly because they’d lived through, and survived, previous recessions and financial crises. In their minds their successors […]

“More, or “Meaningful”?

by Jon Kenfield MBO (Note: this is my personal, unauthorised take on what somebody else said). James E Hughes Jr. is a US attorney and the author of several highly influential books about preserving and enhancing family wealth. Hughes postulates that while financial capital provides practical support for multi-generational families, their true wealth lies in […]

“Don’t Mention the War!” – Lessons learnt working with Business Families

1. What is Old will never be New again – elongation of life expectancy Observations Our Past: Family succession was usually caused by the physical and/or mental incapacity or death of family leaders. Historically, this is why Wills were the prime determinants (one can’t really say “guides”) for family succession and inheritance. Our Present: We’re […]

Cause #50 3rd Parties (1) – Externals

Observations The actions and inactions of non-family: Directors, Managers, Employees and Advisers (“Externals”) are a common cause of conflict in Family Business. Family Businesses are notorious for birthing warring cliques and factions – supporters for: Mum vs Dad; siblings against siblings (or cousins); generation against generation; and employees against family – please get them out […]