Know Your Place in a Family Business

Knowing your place in an organization is essential for your own success and ultimately, the businesss success. Especially in family businesses, where many non-family members work alongside family members, unspoken conflicts may affect the work environment. For example, non-family member employees may feel threatened by family member employees. Therefore, all employees in a family business need to understand the unique dynamics of a family firm to achieve success in this type of company.

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) July 21, 2004 -- Knowing your place in an organization is essential for your own success and ultimately, the businesss success. Especially in family businesses, where many non-family members work alongside family members, unspoken conflicts may affect the work environment. For example, non-family member employees may feel threatened by family member employees. Therefore, all employees in a family business need to understand the unique dynamics of a family firm to achieve success in this type of company.

In her book From the Kitchen Table To the Conference Table: Family Business Communication (Cameo Publications, $17.95, ISBN 0-97441494-8), author and family business expert Laura Michaud provides the communication keys to family business success. She states, To be successful in a family business, family members need to understand several factors regarding behavior and communication. That is, they need to 1) understand their power, 2) understand how their behavior affects others, and 3) understand themselves. Only then can people accept other peoples behavioral and communication styles and work harmoniously together to produce results."

Laura Michaud, who has experienced the need for this understanding first-hand, helps family members in a business setting realize their degree of power within the organization, and understand how their behaviors affect non-family employees. Therefore, whether youre a family member or not, you need to understand your role and your function within the organization.

The key to realizing your power and understanding how your behavior affects others is to understand yourself," says Michaud. When you understand yourself, you can learn to modify your behavior and/or communication so you will have more effective interactions with others, both family members and non-family members. Along with the three levels of understanding that need to take place, Laura Michauds book provides family businesses with an abundance of information and strategies to help them achieve success.

As a third-generation owner of Beltone Electronics, Laura Michaud, MBA, learned first-hand the challenges and importance of communication in family business. After selling Beltone in 1997, she founded the Michaud Group consulting firm to share her experience and knowledge with other family businesses and help them overcome their communication challenges.

For more family business communication strategies, information about Laura Michaud, or a review copy of From the Kitchen Table To the Conference Table: Family Business Communication, please call 866-372-2636 or send an email to amy@cameopublications.com.

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