By Jennifer Blanchard |HRTools.com Business Writer
One problem that seems to abound inside family-owned businesses is miscommunication.
Miscommunications happen for various reasons, some of which are:
- Not everyone is staying on top of things.
- The proper communication channels aren’t being used.
- Someone within the business is trying to keep things secret.
- No one is really listening to what’s being said.
- Not everyone is being given the chance to contribute.
The biggest problem with miscommunications within a family business is that the business—and the family—suffers.
Miscommunications can cause rifts between family members and conflicts about the business, among other things.
To avoid this problem, consider starting a family forum for your family-owned business.
What’s a family forum?
Simply, a family forum is a time and place where everyone involved in the family business gets together to discuss what’s been going on, changes that need to be made, ideas, thoughts, concerns, etc. It’s a time for the family to figure out where the company’s going, who’s going with it and how things will be executed.
Why have a family forum?
So everyone involved in the family business can have a say in decisions, changes, new additions, etc. Since it’s a family business, in order for things to be equal and fair, everyone should have a say in what goes on within the company.
Also, when everyone is on the same page, it makes running the business easier and it keeps conflicts at bay.
When would we have this forum?
It’s a good idea to have the family forum at least once a month so everyone stays involved and on top of everything that’s going on with the business.
Of course, you could have this forum as often as weekly or daily. It’s really about what your business—and your family—needs.
How do we conduct a family forum?
Here are 5 simple steps to conducting a family forum:
- Make the decision to have a monthly (or other frequency) family forum; get buy-in from everyone involved in the family business.
- Choose a day, time and location for the forum to take place. Since this will be a recurring meeting, try having it on the same day and at the same time each month if possible. This will help ensure that everyone keeps that day open every month.
- Send out a reminder the day before the meeting. Either by e-mail or phone, remind everyone about the meeting the day before it’s scheduled. This way they can make sure their schedules are clear and they’re prepared for it.
- Create an agenda for the meeting. An agenda will help inform everyone of what is to be discussed, as well as allow everyone involved to gather any research or information they need to bring with them.
- Allow everyone time to speak. The whole point of a family forum is for everyone to have a say in the business. This is the time for family members to speak up and share their thoughts, ideas and suggestions.
Tips for an Effective Family Forum
Here are some tips to help you conduct a more effective family forum:
- Give each family member the floor to discuss anything they feel needs to be discussed.
- Never leave anyone out. In a true family forum, everyone gets a chance to speak and share their thoughts, so don’t leave anyone out, not even the younger family members who are just getting involved in the business. Everyone brings a unique perspective and everyone has something valuable to add.
- Listen to what is being said. Rather than thinking about what you’re going to say next, pay attention to what is being said by the other members of your family. Good listening skills are a very important part of running a successful business—family-owned or otherwise.
- There are no dumb ideas, thoughts or suggestions. A family forum should be a safe place where each family member can share their opinions without fear of humiliation or retaliation.
- Be supportive. A family is, if nothing else, a support system. So be supportive of the other members of your family who are involved in the business.
Effective communication within a family-owned business starts with the willingness of the entire family to do what it takes to improve communication. Family forums are an excellent tool for this purpose.
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