Jon Kenfield, Author at The Solutionist Group

Cause #5 Fossilised Leaders

“Fossilisation” is the process of rusting in place in a business leadership role, by becoming more averse to change and innovation. It’s usually caused by age. We are living longer, working longer and, despite having to deal with a global pandemic, we expect to do far more in our lives than ever before. This encourages […]

Cause #4 Managing Unmet Expectations and Broken Promises in Family Businesses

When people feel betrayed, or unfairly treated, by people they believed they could trust – frustration, resentment, anger, and a strong desire for revenge, are common consequences. Conflicts brew, and eventually spill over. Despite the fond wish to believe that every family business is a haven of peace, integrity and high trust, the reality is […]

Cause #3 Human Diversity – Ages & Stages

We don’t pay enough attention to the effect of different ages and stages on people’s thinking and behaviours. This raises real issues when family members working together in a family business are at different ages and stages in their respective lives. We see this most powerfully when two or more generations of a family are […]

Cause #2 Managing Personality Differences in Family Business Conflicts

Personality differences have huge impacts on the nature and quality of interactions between family members – in and out of a family business – and between family members and family business employees. “Character” is how the world sees you, and how you see yourself – as a stable, accumulated collection of traits and qualities that […]

Cause #1 Family Business – Blessing, or Curse?

Oh, the drama! The very word “Family” engages us all, at a visceral level. Whether it’s a light, dark, hot, cold, happy, sad, loved or lonely response, “family” always stirs some sort of emotional response. The words “Family Business” engage us in several additional dimensions: emotional, intellectual, professional and financial. And from the outside they […]

Family Business Mediation Video No 50. Cuckoo Consultants. By Jon Kenfield. Solutionist.

Family Business Mediation Video No 50. Cuckoo Consultants. By Jon Kenfield. Family Business Mediator. Solutionist. This video is unique amongst the 50 in this series in that it looks to an entirely external conflict generator that can act upon the family – as opposed to the other 49 causes, where the family does its own […]

Family Business Mediation Video No 49. Non – Family Conflict Causes. By Jon Kenfield. Solutionist.

Family Business Mediation Video No 49. Non – Family Conflict Causes. By Jon Kenfield. Solutionist. Can non-family people create conflicts within the family business? You bet! Family Business are notorious for creating cliques (read your Shakespeare!): supporters for Mum vs Dad; for siblings against other siblings; for one generation against another; and for getting all […]

Family Business Mediation Video 48. Old Retainers. By Jon Kenfield. Family Business Mediator.

Common Causes of Family Conflict & What to Do About Them. Video No 48. Old Retainers. Old retainers area a common cause of conflict in family businesses where Mum or Dad has worked with “old Phyllis / Sam” since the early days and has made promises that “we’ll always look after you”. The new business […]

Family Business Mediation Video No 47. Emotional Trauma. By Jon Kenfield. Solutionist

• Psychology is the science of understanding how people think, feel, behave and learn. • I’m not a psychologist – other than at the “chicken soup” end of the scale – however, more than 20 years spent working with denizens of business families provides many opportunities to observe how people do actually think, feel, behave […]

Family Business Mediation Video No 46: Ethnic Issues & Cultural Norms. By Jon Kenfield

Common Causes of Family Conflict & What to Do About Them. Video No 46: Ethnic Issues and Cultural Norms. • When a family’s culture is strong, it can exert powerful influences on personal expectations and behaviours – both in the family and in its business activities. • Most ethnic cultures are based on historic traditions […]