Listen...Talk...and Plan: Steps to a Great Family Business

摘要

Making a profit can be tough under any conditions. If you run a family business, though, you face some special challenges. Just how do you cut through the gunk of parental control, sibling rivalry and non-family staff resentment that too often gums up the wheels of commerce? The answer, to a large extent, lies in good communication. "The key to family business success is what I call LTP: Listen... talk... and plan," says Dr. Jerry I. Kleiman, cofounder of Optimal Resolutions, a Manhasset, N.Y.,-based firm that helps family businesses resolve relationship issues. "Listen to what family members' needs are... talk about alternative solutions to fulfill those needs... and plan initiatives that bring the solutions about."