Our firm is committed to creating and implementing processes that move your organization toward your desired results. We work with large and small organizations and we work with family units. Following are some cases we have been involved in which reflect how we work and results we have achieved. Of course we have changed the details to protect the confidentiality our clients; the solutions, created in concert with our clients and other support resources, are real.
Case 1: Getting Prepared for Business Growth and Laying the Ground Work for Legacy The founder of several successful retail businesses, the mother of two sons, was expanding her business. One of her two sons worked in the business and had been doing so for more than 10 years; most of which were in direct customer interaction. The other son had other interests where he was experiencing his own success. Her successful expansion was dependent upon her son becoming her business partner in the process. Discoveries
Strategy In this situation it was critical to address the emotional first and then focus on the rational.
Communication: The discussion focused on the content and quality of the communication between the founder and her son. After having very frank exchanges about some good and not so good events in their past we explored assumptions, wishes, hopes and dreams that were the shared interests of the owner and her son. The agreement established included separate planned meetings; one focusing on the progress toward targeted business goals and the other on their relationship. Our intent was to integrate the two over time. Alignment: After three focused meetings the founder and her son agreed on the growth strategy that made sense for their business, his role in that business and the factors that were critical to their success. Development: The son and I spent several hours on the issue of his development. First was an assessment of his capabilities and interests; this assessment was completed by both the founder and the son. Those results were held up against the perception of the founder and the needs of the business to successfully execute the strategy on which they had already agreed. The son agreed to:
Results
Case 2: A Message to Our Next Generation: It is Time to Give Back to Our Country A member of a family that includes more than 130 individuals in five branches located in America, Jamaica, Nigeria, Canada, England and Wales is convinced that sustaining the legacy of her forefathers requires action; and action now! The family’s reunion that occurs every three years was held in July 2006 in their home country. She engaged Shared Interests to join them at the reunion to “get us started”. Discoveries
Strategy We started first with the rational and then engaged the emotional. It was evident that the varying cultures in which the family members had grown up would send us down an equal number of paths; none of which would lead us closer to clarification. So we focused on education over time and honoring the interests and concerns of those who have a sense of their family unit’s direction.
Result
Case 3: Getting The Third Generation Ready; Ready for What? This retail business with multiple profit centers is led by the middle child in the second generation. The business is very successful and the second generation leader is ready to move on at some point in the next three years with a desire to leave a legacy that (a) expands and grows the business, (b) evolves the organizational culture, (c) readies the third generations for leadership and (d) assures all employees are prepared to compete for opportunities. There are several third generation members working in the business; the time in the business ranged from 7 years to 15 years. None of the third generation has progressed beyond manager level in the organization. The professional managers in the business are recognized in the industry as some of the best at what they do; those leaders are frequently the targets of industry headhunters who are filling key positions in leading companies across the country. Discoveries
Strategy This is clearly a more complex challenge than the two previous cases. The development of all human resources in the organization lacked focus and structure. The previous experience of leadership transition in the family resulted in anxiety and uncertainty since the rationale for the transition was never shared. The solution focused on:
Within that context several interventions were launched over several years. The following components were areas in which we were directly involved: Structure: The executive team, which included the managing owner, agreed to implement two critical structures; a process for succession planning and a process to develop high potential employees. The family agreed to establish two structures to support their alignment and growth; a family council and a career development council. Access: The design of the program for high potential employees included dialogue with the executive leadership on designated topics, on a project that is of strategic value to the organization and on a project that is of value to their specific profit centers. The family and career development councils gave family members access to business information and opportunities to become prepared for new challenges. Clarity: The management and employee development programs were all redesigned to focus on core competencies for success in the organization. There was no longer any uncertainty about what skills were of value to the organization.
|
