There’s nothing like family. The people we’re related to by blood and marriage are expected to be our closest allies, our greatest sources of love and support. Families experiencing this type of relationship have tremendous strength. Unfortunately, many family interactions are filled with misunderstanding and resentment, bickering and badgering. Those we should know and be known by best, end up feeling like adversaries or strangers.
Add the complexity of a family business, especially one going through a significant transition (be that growth, scale, succession or sale) and you have all the ingredients for a highly rated reality television program. Tensions created during these seasons challenge even the strongest of family relationships.
How can you stay in control while strengthening your family and your business to avoid making the ratings?
You already know there are no easy answers, silver bullets, and definitely no magic beans. But you can take comfort in that you are not the first family business owner to face these challenges and many have of our clients have come through the challenges stronger and more successful as a family and a business.
Where do you start? If you’re like most owners, focusing on the business is easier… unfortunately that is not where the change you are looking for resides. It all begins with increasing your self and other awareness to that you can help them do the same.
Unless you make your subconscious conscious it will dictate your life and you will call it fate. – Carl Jung
Now that that doesn’t just mean taking a language class to improve communication or setting up a few potluck dinners to better understand the contributions to the gastronomic world. By all means do that - nothing builds relationships like food and fun!
What we’re talking about here goes much deeper. It dives below the surface of both ourselves and others and helps us not only positively impact relationships, but also performance and bottom line results.
This is the world of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) – both an art and a science and one of the key factors separating good leaders from great leaders.
What makes EQ even more powerful is that it can be applied to strengthening both family and business in terms of relationship, productive conflict, performance and ultimately success.
Understanding EQ puts you in control of your relationships. When you know how you feel, you can’t be manipulated by other’s emotions; nor can you blame conflict on everyone else. Moreover, you can be intentional about drawing the best out of yourself and those around you.
The ability to be able to read the emotional and interpersonal needs of a situation and respond accordingly provides incredible leverage.
If this resonates with you, we’d like to invite you to join our Family Business: Below the Surface cohort starting in April.
Developing your EQ is so important to long-term success that it is woven through the entire program. After taking a leading EQ assessment, you will meet with a coach to design your personal EQ development strategy. Yep - you read that right – unlike your IQ, you can improve your EQ and get the benefits that come with that!
With this foundation, you will be well equipped for your first Family Business Dive with other owners on the journey to building EQ strength in your family and business. Building EQ agility will result in an emotionally intelligent family and workforce that can support your thriving agile culture—no matter what is happening in the world around you.