I know that, because I learned it the same way you did—from the inside. In 1981, I became president of my family’s salt mining company. By mid-1983, revenues had doubled, but my sisters were no longer speaking to me. Yes, the fusion of family and business is fertile ground for conflict; blood ties versus profits; gender and birth order versus succession, ownership, money, employment, entitlement… it’s a long list. And while I’m sure that none of this is news to you, what I’ve learned since then, and want to share with you, is that most of the challenges you face are both predictable and resolvable.         Whether your family business is small, midsize or multinational—a manufacturer, distributor or service provider—the most consistent challenges are around balancing the rights of individual family members with business profitability and success. The dissention and loss this creates is guaranteed when there are open-ended concerns about: Vision, goals and mission Strategic direction of the company Roles and responsibilities within the organization Unclear or nonexistent succession plans Leadership training and development of successors Relationship of the family to the business Differences in values between the generations   If the business is to survive in the long-term, the answers to concerns like these cannot simply be handed down by the founder. Founders start businesses. Their focus is on success and providing a good living for their families. Their decisions are based on what the situations, circumstances and market conditions require at the time. And while expedient decisions are not intrinsically bad, in a family setting they often turn into unspoken rules—which left unexplored, take on life of their own. back to top process >