Hubler For Business Families
   
Family Planning
Family PlanningFamily Planning in a family-owned business focuses on preserving family relationships.  Essentially, business and financial differences will erode family relationships - it is only a matter of time.  In order to offset that dynamic, family businesses are encouraged to build and preserve the emotional equity of their family while simultaneously building the equity of their company.  Family meetings are an important ingredient in this process and are designed to help the family preserve its legacy, build family rituals and have effective communication about both family and business issues.
Alcoholism Stinking Thinking - Part Two - Loving ConcernChemical abuse can derail a family business, not to mention family intimacy, communication and problem resolution. But it can be overcome.Alcoholism Stinking Thinking - Part One - Just Wine at DinnerAlcohol abuse can be devastating to families, even more so when a family runs a business together. When alcohol or other chemical addiction is a part of the dynamic in a family, virtually any attempt to resolve family and business issues is infinitely more difficult. Betrayal - The Emotional Malady of Family Businesses - Part TwoBetrayal is a powerful emotion best soothed by a combination of other emotions that can help a family overcome the mistrust, blame and incredible pain that can tear apart business families.Betrayal - The Emotional Malady of Family Businesses - Part OneNo form of betrayal is easy to handle. It's especially difficult when it comes between close relatives working in the same family business.Emotions in the Family Business - Part 3 GratitudeWithin the family business, it is often easy to forgo the expression of gratitude. However, the health of the family business and its relationships can become damaged or weakened without the element of gratitude to alleviate the stresses of everyday life.Emotions in the Family Business - Part 2 CompassionCompassion is a universal human quality too often forgotten in the small moments of life. We underestimate the power of a smile, a kind word, a moment taken to listen. These are qualities each of us can consciously develop and strengthen.Emotions in the Family Business - Part 1 - ForgivenessIn the flow of life, it is certain that individuals in a family business will anger, offend, or upset another family member. It frequently happens with people we love because we share such a special bond. The successful family businesses I encounter have learned how to forgive each other, how to create a new beginning in their relationships.Sometimes the Magic Doesn’t Work - Part TwoIn Part One, I described one of my cases to illustrate why the "magic didn't work." Here I share some solutions I found to make the magic happen when I work with business families.Sometimes the Magic Doesn't Work - Part OneConversing with a Lakota medicine man who was a fellow participant at a conference I attended in Taos, New Mexico, I described my current frustration with a client who owned a family business. I told him the work wasn't going well. He replied, "You know, Tom, sometimes the magic doesn't work." It got me thinking.A Father's Legacy for Father's Day - Part TwoIn Part One we discussed how a family-business legacy is built by example. Here we'll discuss the importance of building and reinforcing that legacy consistently through the generations.A Father's Legacy for Fathers Day - Part OnePast performance can guarantee future results. Here's how a legacy develops through demonstration.Overcoming the Technological Divide Between GenerationsOlder generations tend to think technology has ruined our capacity to reason and communicate. Meanwhile, younger generations look at boomer family business leaders and think they are totally out of touch with how the world works today. Here we'll look at practical ways to resolve the conflicts.The Technological Divide Leap or FallAs family business entrepreneurs prepare to hand their life's work off to their adult children, a huge shift in communication tradition has produced a tidal wave of conflict and distrust among generations. It can tear apart a business family. It can also put a family business at risk. How can it be overcome?Shirtsleeves to Shirtsleeves in Three Generations - Part TwoDelving deeper into wealth preparation planning using a fictional example based on real events.Shirtsleeves to Shirtsleeves in Three Generations - Part OneFewer than one-third of families who gain wealth maintain it to the grandchildren. This is even more astonishing when you learn that all of those families have a wealth preservation plan. What happened?The Green BoxNo matter how well run a family business is, a single tragic event can come out of nowhere to wreak havoc on the financials and the family. Having clients create their own Green Boxes may seem arduous, but it will significantly assist their survivors in perpetuating the family business and their legacy.Preparing for the Unthinkable - Loss of the Entrepreneur - Part TwoIn this installment we will look at the two other business families - the Carlsens and Petersons - who also had to cope with devastating loss.Preparing for the Unthinkable - Loss of the Entrepreneur - Part OneIn a family business, the entrepreneur's unexpected death or incapacitation opens a fissure in the business and in the family - double devastation.The Forest for the TreesWhen families that have a business together gather for the holidays, they sometimes have another place at the table set for discussing their business. This scene shares similarities with one of my favorite holiday films: The Bishop's Wife.Managing Conflict in a Family-Owned Business - Part TwoThe structure of the matter.Managing Conflict in a Family-Owned Business - Part OneWhat advisors frequently overlook can land their clients - and themselves - in hot water.Show Them the MoneyThe turn of the year symbolizes an excellent opportunity to make a significant New Year's resolution: a plan about wealth and money. One of the greatest fears parents in family businesses have is the impact of money on adult children and grandchildren. I often hear parents lament, "It was much easier making the money than figuring out what to do with it."Forgiveness as an Intervention in Family-Owned Business A New BeginningExploring the notion of bringing a family business's family values and traditions regarding religion and forgiveness into their everyday lives to create healing when family business differences have broken or severed family relationships. The philosophy of the ritual is to pair it with other family rituals and use it as a tool to begin to focus on the future. Keep The Family in Family Business HolidaysWhatever your tradition, the holiday season is a wonderful opportunity to set aside the stress and strains of the business and celebrate all the special rituals that bind families together.The Price of PeacekeepingMy theory states that when families gather and there are minor business or financial differences...nothing is said...the small problems are ignored and instead of going away, they fester, eventually growing into larger problems.Circles of Influence - The importance of defining expectationsOne of the most common sources of conflict in family business occurs when people confuse their roles as owners and employees with those of being family members. Often there are unspoken, and conflicting, expectations on all fronts.The Ties That Bind - How to Keep the Family in Family BusinessHaving a plan is essential because it allows families to develop a north star to guide and manage the delicate balance between their family and business relationships.The Value of Family ValuesIn life and in business it's important to recognize those who have positively influenced us and do our best to live their values. Resolving Family Conflict EmpowersThe staring point for resolving family conflict is creating a common vision for the family-owned business.Resolving Work and Family ConflictWhen you're in a family business, wherever you go, family or business or both will be there. This makes resolving your work and family conflicts difficult. Family Business Conflict ResolutionBusiness conflicts can tear apart a family. Family business conflicts arise because family and business have different (even opposite) goals. A family is protective and loyal, with strong emotional ties that tend to resist or minimize change. But a business must be productive. It values competency and candor in order to embrace change and create success. When goals clash, we can help resolve the conflict between family and business.The Soul of Family BusinessThe most perplexing question in the context of family businesses has to do with the nature of soul. From my perspective, soul is what drives all of what happens in family businesses, and it is the indefinable essence of a family's spirit and being. Soul is not something that can be measured or quantified, but it is easily recognizable by both its presence and absence. The soul of the family business is not easily defined. The following attempts to reflect its nature.
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Does your family business need help with succession planning, conflict resolution, management or other issues? If so, we'll arrange a one-on-one orientation meeting with you and Tom Hubler to help you explore the possibilities of working with us. If you choose, your family and business associates can also attend. Here, in a relaxed environment, you can talk about:

- Key family business issues
- Plans necessary for the success of your family-owned business
- Possibilities and expectations
- Terms of the relationship
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