Safeguard Your Family Business
A coaching process for containing today’s emotional fires and preventing tomorrows.
Does this sound familiar?
"I give up...
"What am I doing wrong...
"Is all of this stress really worth it?!?"
In these moments you need empathy paired with a clear process for thinking more, listening more, and taking action.
How we help?
There is no such thing as a ‘one size fits all’ solution to family business problems. Effective, sustainable solutions need to be tailored to fit your family.
We understand how the family emotional system works – and we make time to understand your family, structure, relationship dynamics, and how it all fits together.
We support you in preparing for and actually having the crucial conversations that move your family business forward.
We guide you to improve your decision-making and strengthen your ability to make change(s).
You’ll walk away learning how to better avoid the pitfalls of the past and hold your ground.
FBL Coaching:
Extinguishing Today’s Emotional Fires and Preventing Tomorrow’s™
PHASE 1:
Define the Problem(s)
I’ll help you identify every emotional fire burning in your family business. We’ll assign each issue an Alarm Level (1-5) and assess the current damage. Continue reading ›
Together, we look at:
- Where each emotional fire is located and its history
- Impact on your business operations
- Damage to relationships within your family business system.
Common Reflections:
“I’m really worried about those two fighting. If we don’t step in and stop it soon, it’s going to spread to everyone else and we’ll have a complete disaster on our hands.”
“Look at us – I’m turning 70 this year, you’re 75, and Sharon’s pushing 78. How have we still not chosen who takes over next? This is crazy. Maybe we should just sell the whole thing and be done with it.”
“Our marriage can’t take much more of this work situation. One of us needs to step away from the business, and honestly, I don’t think it should be me.”
EXPAND YOUR THINKING:
- Crumbling Foundation
- Sound the Alarm
- Succession Planning Index (coming soon)
- Family Business Signs of Fire Index (coming soon)
PHASE 2:
Collect Hard + Soft data
We’ll gather all necessary information to understand what’s truly fueling these emotional fires – issues. Continue reading ›
Together, we look at:
- The specific triggers that ignited each problem
- Conditions keeping these issues alive
- Your current containment strategies and their effectiveness
Common Reflections:
“The numbers don’t lie, but we all tend to see what we want to believe.”
“There’s a real history of emotional patterns in our family that we can’t ignore anymore, even though we’ve been selective about what we choose to see.”
“Facts matter. We need to start seeing our situation clearly – both the hard business facts and the soft emotional realities. We need to see things as they actually are, not how we wished they would be.”
EXPAND YOUR THINKING:
- More coming soon
PHASE 3:
Determine “I” Positions
I’ll guide you in establishing your non-negotiable commitments to resolve existing problems and prevent future ones.
Together, we’ll clarify:
- Your core values, principles and beliefs
- Your boundaries – lines you refuse to cross (or let others cross)
- When you need to stand firm with an unequivocal “yes, that’s my final answer.”
Common Reflections:
“I haven’t thought it through completely…”
“I’m still figuring out where I stand on all of this.”
“What do you think I should do about it?“
EXPAND YOUR THINKING:
- “Is that your final answer” coming soon
PHASE 4:
Decide “We” Positions
I’ll facilitate crucial conversations among all decision makers on how to effectively address each issue while preserving both business operations and relationships.
Together, we develop:
- Strategies for unified commitment: “all for one, and one for all.”
- Clear decision-making protocols (consensus, majority vote, principal shareholder direction).
- Resource allocation to tackle each challenge.
Common Reflections:
“For once, can’t we all put aside our personal interests and think about what’s best for everyone involved?”
“I’m really hoping they won’t gang up on me this time. Just this once, please.”
“This time I’m making a promise to myself – no matter how much they try to provoke me, I’m not going to take the bait.”
EXPAND YOUR THINKING:
- “Don’t Forget Your Lines” article coming soon
- “Anything else?” coming soon
PHASE 5:
Listen to feedback
I’ll help you create systems to gather and analyze input from all stakeholders affected by the “WE” decisions from Phase 4.
Together, we’ll separate:
- The meaningful from the trivial
- Legitimate concerns from invalid ones
- Altruistic suggestions from self-serving ones
Common Reflections:
“I’m honestly hoping they’ll like this proposal. I don’t have the energy to start over from scratch.”
“I can already tell they’re going to hate our suggestion. I just know it.”
“They’re going to feel betrayed by me, like I sold them out or broke my promise. They’re going to resent me for this decision.”
EXPAND YOUR THINKING:
- “We hear you now” coming soon
PHASE 6:
Draft Solutions
We’ll document your proposed solutions to ensure they stand up to scrutiny when seen in black and white. Continue reading ›
Together, we examine:
- Different perspectives on what was agreed upon
- Solutions that cause discomfort versus those that feel right
Common Reflections:
“Oh no, this is definitely going to cause problems.”
“How did we miss addressing this crucial question? So much depends on how we answer it.”
“Wow, this is getting serious now. We’re actually going through with this.”
EXPAND YOUR THINKING:
- More coming soon
PHASE 7:
Engage Your Team
I’ll facilitate work with your professional advisors to finalize and implement the solutions drafted in Phase 6. Continue reading ›
Together, we’ll access:
- Your team’s ability to identify hidden problems in our draft solutions
- Their capacity to remain neutral while serving all stakeholders
- When specialists might be needed to address gaps in your current team’s expertise
Common Reflections:
“ Don’t mess around with this. Be straightforward: “Do you and your team have the skill set to bring our plans to life?”
“For this to work, we need everyone’s buy-in. Do we need a different messenger?”
“ I don’t like working with people we don’t know, but in this case we’re going to have to trust the experience that others have had.”
EXPAND YOUR THINKING:
- “Dear Advisor…” (link to come)
- Harvest – article coming soon
PHASE 8:
Communicate. Communicate. Communicate.
And finally, we’ll help you develop the strategy and tactics to ensure that your decisions are effectively delivered to all stakeholders.
Together, we’ll develop:
- The Emotional Strength to deliver your messages with confidence, clarity, and empathy
- The language of the listener – finding the words, phrases, and tone that allows people to truly hear you
- The ‘What If Plans’: Your prepared responses when they come back with objections or questions.
Common Reflections:
“Relax. Take a deep breath. Look them in the eye.”
“Stop with the catastrophic thinking. You don’t know for certain how they’re going to react, until they react.”
“Don’t defend. Don’t make excuses. Don’t try to spin anything.”
“Just say what you need to say… and then listen, to what they need to say. ”
EXPAND YOUR THINKING:
- TBD
HOW WE Track your momentum
Coaching Status Reports
These monthly updates capture status on both business metrics and family dynamics to keep the process moving forward smoothly.
