Making Sense of Family Business – Book #1: 20 Personal Causes of Conflict – The Solutionist Group

“Family Business” … makes no sense! Introduction (Part 1)

Jon Kenfield — Sun, 17 Mar 2024 21:21:01 +0000

(sans knowledge, focus, skills, and discipline). Introduction (Part 1) Every family business has a business family sitting behind it, but the basic concept behind “Family Business” actually makes no sense, because every commercial driver needed to make a good business conflicts with the human success factors that make families happy: This creates a huge conundrum: […]

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“Family Business” … makes no sense! Introduction (Part 2)

Jon Kenfield — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 06:14:02 +0000

(sans knowledge, focus, skills, and discipline) Conflict (noun): “a serious disagreement or argument between people with opposing views, opinions, values or principles – often over a protracted period”. Conflict (verb): “different, incompatible, at variance, opposing, clashing”. There is no family on the planet, now or ever, that entirely avoids conflict between its members. That’s not, […]

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Cause #13: Founder Syndrome

Jon Kenfield — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 02:14:29 +0000

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Cause #14 Imposter Syndrome

Jon Kenfield — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 00:35:08 +0000

Observations Impostor Syndrome is a psychological condition—a recognised pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that cause a person distress, impaired daily functioning, or significant departures from behavioural norms. Imposters (individuals suffering from Imposter Syndrome) experience emotional trauma that overwhelms their ability to manage life and work. They’re often in a state of mild to full-on […]

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Cause #15: Broken Wing Syndrome

Jon Kenfield — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 00:02:32 +0000

Broken Wing Syndrome (“BWS”) is when a well-meaning parent over-protects an under-performing adult child, unintentionally entrenching dependence and low resilience. In a family business, that over-protection warps decision-making, erodes accountability, poisons culture, and often explodes during succession. The fix: recognise the pattern, depersonalise it, and restructure roles, support and governance so the individual (and business) […]

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Cause #16: Sibling Rivalry & Personal Jealousies

Jon Kenfield — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 07:19:31 +0000

Sibling rivalry is common—and combustible—when it follows siblings into the family firm. Old resentments meet adult stakes (status, pay, power, succession), creating factions, stalled decisions, and delayed transitions. The fix: name the pattern, surface the history safely, reset roles and rules, and install governance that pairs care with accountability. What We Mean by “Sibling Rivalry” […]

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Cause #17: Ownership vs Stewardship

Jon Kenfield — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 00:00:19 +0000

Every family business walks a tightrope between ownership (rights, control, and independence) and stewardship(responsibility, duty, and legacy). When family members hold conflicting attitudes toward these mindsets, conflict is inevitable—usually around money, control, and time horizons. Alignment, governance, and courageous decision-making are the antidotes. The Core Divide: Ownership vs Stewardship Ownership = Rights & Control Ownership […]

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Cause #18: Disrespect, Mistrust & Unconscious Biases

Jon Kenfield — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 00:00:31 +0000

In family businesses, disrespect wounds dignity, mistrust erodes confidence, and unconscious biases quietly poison fairness. Together, they migrate across the family–business boundary, stall decisions, and corrode culture. The antidote: visible leadership standards, promise hygiene, transparent plans, objective roles/KPIs, a reconciliation protocol for breaches, and deliberate bias-mitigation. Why This Trio Is So Destructive Family life runs […]

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Cause #19: CEO Syndrome

Jon Kenfield — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 00:00:22 +0000

In many family firms, the founder’s identity fuses with the role. Stepping back feels like stepping into the void, so succession stalls. The effects: decision paralysis, talent drain, and family conflict. The fix is not a one-day handover but a designed process—governance, role redesign, identity work, and a paced transition that preserves dignity, relevance, and […]

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Cause #20: Tradition & Legacy – Blessing or Curse?

Jon Kenfield — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:00:46 +0000

“Behind every great Family Business lies a great Business Family.” – Solutionist proverb Tradition and legacy sit at the heart of every family business story. They can be stabilising anchors, guiding lights, or powerful sources of meaning. But they can also be heavy weights—restricting innovation, blocking change, and trapping families in outdated patterns that no […]

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