Blog
Cause #29: Family Governance
Observations Many people in family business understand they’re running a family business, but they don’t always acknowledge the other reality sitting behind it: they’re also running a business family — or at least being supported by one — especially in multi-generational enterprises. Over time, every successful multi-generational family business evolves into a business family, having […]
Read MoreCause #28: Avoidance, Denial and a Slow Poisoning
Observations Business families are notorious for taking shortcuts and following paths of least resistance when it comes to recognising and dealing with unpleasant tensions between family members. The unconscious driver is: “If we don’t talk about it, maybe it will go away.” But in business families, problems don’t disappear. They go underground to ferment, strengthen, […]
Read MoreCause #27: Family Succession
Why succession remains one of the most powerful conflict triggers in family enterprises What “Succession” Really Means The word succession comes from the Latin successio, meaning a following after. In a family enterprise context, succession is the deliberate transition of ownership, leadership, and management of businesses, assets, and legacies from one generation to the next. […]
Read MoreCause #26: Roles and Responsibilities
(Why unclear “who does what” turns family business into the Wild West) One of the most reliable generators of conflict in a family business is surprisingly simple: nobody is fully sure who is responsible for what, who has authority to decide, and who is accountable when things go wrong. Founders often dismiss titles and job […]
Read MoreCause #25: Family Ethics, Culture and Discipline
(Why “how we do things” beats strategy, and why weak standards quietly breed conflict) Family businesses rarely run purely on logic, plans, KPIs, budgets, or org charts. They run on something far more powerful and far more fragile: the behavioural patterns a family has developed over decades — first at home, then transferred into the […]
Read MoreCause #24: Family Plans (Values, Visions and Goals)
(Why families lose businesses when they don’t agree where they’re going together) “For want of a nail the shoe was lost…” — Proverb Reframed for family enterprise: “For want of a Plan the Family was lost, For want of a Family the Business was lost, And all for the want of a Family Plan.” — […]
Read MoreCause #23: What’s Fair? Equal Ain’t Equitable
(Why “treating everyone the same” is one of the fastest ways to trigger family business conflict) One of the most common causes of conflict in business families comes from a well-intentioned mistake: confusing equality with equity. Equality means giving everyone the same benefits. Equity means giving people what is fair, reasonable, and appropriate—based on contribution, […]
Read MoreCause #22: The Birth Order Lottery
Why Birth Order Matters More Than Families Think Birth order dynamics refer to how the sequence of birth within a generation influences roles, expectations, status, and behaviour. In many business families, birth order quietly shapes who is perceived as the “leader,” who becomes the “mediator,” and who is expected to “fit in” — often before […]
Read MoreCause #21: Parenting Styles and Practices
Why Parenting Matters in Family Business Conflict (Observations – not medical opinions) One of the most persistent and underestimated root causes of conflict in family businesses originates not in boardrooms, ownership structures, or succession plans—but in the family home, decades earlier. Many of the conflicts that surface in adult family business relationships are not new. […]
Read MoreCause #20: Tradition & Legacy – Blessing or Curse?
“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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