10 Steps to Thanksgiving Harmony for Families in Business Together

In a few days families across America will be sitting down together to celebrate one of our country’s most honored traditions, Thanksgiving dinner.

When family and friends come together for this annual celebration conversations invariably cover a wide range of subjects from football to politics. Some families get by without discord on one passionate matter or another, but many—especially those who run a family business together—don’t.

No Thanksgiving Dinner Board Meeting This Year

The family business is an institution older than Thanksgiving itself, but on Thanksgiving Day family should come first. It’s all too easy for business concerns that may have been percolating below the surface to boil over into Thanksgiving conversations.

Here are a few suggestions to keep business matters out of the table conversation:

1. Arrange a meeting with all the family members who are active in the business the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Host this meeting at a neutral location, not at the place of business and not in the home of any family member.
2. Designate a meeting facilitator. If at all possible find someone outside the family with no partiality to any one of the players. A facilitator could be an accountant, lawyer or other known business professional (ie. consultants or coaches).
3. The meeting must be limited to family members that are active in the business. Spouses, non-active children or others may have strong opinions but must not be invited to participate at this time.
4. Keep egos out of all talks and establish growing or saving the business as the shared, number one priority.
5. Several days before the meeting the facilitator should request that every participant send him/her a list of their top 3 concerns. This list should be delivered in writing directly to the facilitator alone.
6. The facilitator should compile the responses and create an agenda categorizing the topics under the headings of State of the Organization, Opportunities & Threats, Operational Efficiencies, Job Duties & Responsibilities, Financial Issues and Gripes.
7. During the meeting all primary concerns submitted should be discussed. Decisions where agreement is close to unanimous should be accepted. Areas that cannot be concluded should be designated as such and an internal task force should be created specifically to resolve that issue. More than one task force can be created and anyone can participate in more than one.
8. Set future meetings and a timetable that the task force should work against to deliver a timely solution. These task forces may be addressing matters that have gone unaddressed for years. Timelines and milestones will help ensure that change occurs in a manageable process.
9. If residual topics do arise on Thanksgiving Day reserve it for a discrete one-to-one walk around the block later that evening.
10. Resolve to stay cool and conscience of your actions. Enjoy Thanksgiving with your loved ones by checking the family business at the door.

 Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving everyone!