Strengthening Family Communications

15th September 2015

Good communication is essential in any business but can be surprisingly difficult in a family business, where talking about difficult issues if often avoided. Seeing family members day-to-day does not equate to good communication! In fact, it is often harder to talk about formal issues such as governance and succession when there are so many other emotional and practical considerations in play.

Communication is often inhibited by fear of conflict in family businesses and this can cause real problems if it goes on for a prolonged time and is passed on from generation to generation. This guide lays out some simple measures that can be taken to help the family to speak freely about the business and resolve its issues before things get out of hand.