Craig E. Aronoff's Blog, page 2

Nicole Bettinger Joins The Family Business Consulting Group

The Family Business Consulting Group is pleased to announce the addition of Nicole Bettinger as its newest consultant specializing in communication, conflict resolution and training next-generation family business owners. Her experience includes facilitating family meetings, educating families and aligning ownership. “Nicole is a wonderful example of what we seek in next generation family business specialists,” … Continue reading Nicole Bettinger Joins The Family Business Consulting Group →

Justin Craig Joins The Family Business Consulting Group

The Family Business Consulting Group welcomes Justin Craig, Ph.D. as a consultant to our team. His areas of advisory expertise include issue-selling by next-generation family members, business and family governance, and the use of strategy measurement and management tools, such as the Balanced Scorecard, in family firms. He is also a Clinical Professor of Family Enterprises and … Continue reading Justin Craig Joins The Family Business Consulting Group →

The Greatest Issue of Destructive Family Dynamics

In my last post, I shared the parallels I found between the marriage research of John Gottman, Ph.D. and how it applies to any familial relationship especially those who own/work together. Gottman dubbed the four most detrimental behaviors for a marital relationship as The Four Horsemen: criticism, defensiveness, stonewalling and contempt. (Criticism is discussed here.) … Continue reading The Greatest Issue of Destructive Family Dynamics →

Leading the Next Gen by Example: Constructive Family Relationships

I was reading On Wisconsin, the alumni magazine for the University of Wisconsin, when I came across an article highlighting John Gottman, Ph.D., who graduated from Wisconsin in 1972.  I knew of Gottman’s research because I used it often when teaching an undergraduate course at Wisconsin on Interpersonal Communication. Gottman has devoted his life study … Continue reading Leading the Next Gen by Example: Constructive Family Relationships →

Family Relationships and the Power of Affinity

It never ceases to amaze me how family members in some family enterprises are able to function with relative ease while communicating and making decisions. Their ability to function this way results in uplifting family relationships along with enterprise growth and continuity. An observation about families with this level of functioning is that they have … Continue reading Family Relationships and the Power of Affinity →

Family is More than the Sum of its Parts

Aristotle said: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” a quote often used to describe families who own businesses. Recently, a member of an extremely successful family business was thinking about the different inequalities in her family, now in its 4th generation of leadership. She explained that some family members had more … Continue reading Family is More than the Sum of its Parts →

Management’s Role in Productive Board Meetings

We often hear from management that board meetings are “a waste of time” where directors “don’t really understand our business” and “don’t contribute much to enhancing our strategy.” That is unfortunate. Yet in many cases, the primary source of the problem is not poor director choices, as much as poor management preparation for board meetings. … Continue reading Management’s Role in Productive Board Meetings →

Getting Unstuck

In a family business, it is not unusual for a junior generation family employee to become stuck in a job where he is under-performing. When this happens, it can be difficult for family management leaders to talk openly with the younger family employee about the situation. Although folks working with the family employee are well … Continue reading Getting Unstuck →

Podcast: Revealing Family Business Challenges Can Empower Startling Opportunities

Senior FBCG consultant Stephanie Brun de Pontet was a recent podcast guest on Business Confidential Now with host Hanna Hasl-Kelchner. The show explored how a family business can grow and prosper and successfully transfer from one generation to the next while at the same time avoiding blow-ups and other situations that make for really awkward family … Continue reading Podcast: Revealing Family Business Challenges Can Empower Startling Opportunities →

Profit: Counterpoint

The word profit invokes thoughts of selfishness amongst some, benefit amongst others, and a necessity in family business. While the love of money may be the root of all evil, the pursuit of profit is necessary in order to sustain any ownership group’s goals. But what role should profit play in driving behaviors of business … Continue reading Profit: Counterpoint →