From the Kitchen Table to the Conference Table: Family Business Communication

Rating:
Summary: Proper communication can change everything
Review: A little communication adjustment may be all you need to get your family business back on track, and this book will definitely steer you in the right direction. Being in a family business myself, I have dealt with many of the issues Michaud addresses (arguing over financial matters, authority, etc...). After reading this book, I now realize just how important proper communication is in solving these issues. Michaud explains that while it is important to keep the lines of communication open, those lines can only go so far. We need to know how to communicate and how to understand each other if we want to run a productive, successful business.

I have been following Michaud's advice and using her communication strategies for a couple weeks now and I already see drastic changes in the business. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to take their family business to the next level!

Rating:
Summary: Don't be a failed family business statistic
Review: Family businesses can be a wonderful thing. I've seen them help keep a family close together because they are involved with each other throughout the day. On the other hand I've seen it tear a business and a family apart as family members make decisions that others don't support, personal problems are brought into the office, and promoting one family member over another causes hardship. It's no wonder that almost seventy percent of family owned businesses fail in the second generation. Does this have to be the case? What can you do to keep from being just another of these statistics? That is what Laura Michaud addresses in her book "From the Kitchen Table to the Conference Table: Family Business Communication".

Laura grew up in a third generation family owned business - Beltone. Based on her real-life experiences Laura provides a solid plan for navigating the treacherous waters of a family owned business. Her plan is thorough and includes many things people don't think about when starting a family business. For example, there is the need to examine the fact that family members may have different goals. Some may need medical benefits, some may want more take home pay, and others may want more flexible time demands. Another example is planning for succession. Most people just think of planning for who will take over the business when they pass on or retire. But succession planning is so much more than this. If it is not done correctly the company may need to be sold just to pay estate taxes. Or leaving the business jointly to several children may set them up for crippling power struggles. These are only two of the many areas she covers very well. The majority of the book is dedicated to finding the individual strengths of family members and making sure that the company plays to their strengths and then keeping communication channels open.

There are several books on the market that examine starting a family business and how to get it growing. I am really surprised that there are not more that deal with the problem of the expanding family business that soon has dozens of grandchildren, cousins, and in-laws working for it. Well, you are not on your own in this area anymore! "From the Kitchen Table to the Conference Table" is a highly recommended read for anyone involved in a family business and provides the advice necessary to keep the business growing for multiple generations.

Rating:
Summary: Don't be a failed family business statistic
Review: Family businesses can be a wonderful thing. I've seen them help keep a family close together because they are involved with each other throughout the day. On the other hand I've seen it tear a business and a family apart as family members make decisions that others don't support, personal problems are brought into the office, and promoting one family member over another causes hardship. It's no wonder that almost seventy percent of family owned businesses fail in the second generation. Does this have to be the case? What can you do to keep from being just another of these statistics? That is what Laura Michaud addresses in her book "From the Kitchen Table to the Conference Table: Family Business Communication".

Laura grew up in a third generation family owned business - Beltone. Based on her real-life experiences Laura provides a solid plan for navigating the treacherous waters of a family owned business. Her plan is thorough and includes many things people don't think about when starting a family business. For example, there is the need to examine the fact that family members may have different goals. Some may need medical benefits, some may want more take home pay, and others may want more flexible time demands. Another example is planning for succession. Most people just think of planning for who will take over the business when they pass on or retire. But succession planning is so much more than this. If it is not done correctly the company may need to be sold just to pay estate taxes. Or leaving the business jointly to several children may set them up for crippling power struggles. These are only two of the many areas she covers very well. The majority of the book is dedicated to finding the individual strengths of family members and making sure that the company plays to their strengths and then keeping communication channels open.

There are several books on the market that examine starting a family business and how to get it growing. I am really surprised that there are not more that deal with the problem of the expanding family business that soon has dozens of grandchildren, cousins, and in-laws working for it. Well, you are not on your own in this area anymore! "From the Kitchen Table to the Conference Table" is a highly recommended read for anyone involved in a family business and provides the advice necessary to keep the business growing for multiple generations.

Rating:
Summary: Proper communication can change everything
Review: I was interested in reading this book because I grew up working in my parent's family business, work in one with my wife now, and my wife's family operates a family business as well. In my consulting career, I've often been asked to help families decide what they want to do with their businesses. I always wonder what it's like NOT to be in a family business. Our large company clients seem to be under totally different pressures than our family business clients.

Communication is often poor in a family business. Ms. Michaud seems to have a good handle on the manifestations of that problem. Her war stories smack of having been in the middle of the fray . . . both as an executive in a family business and as a consultant to family businesses.

In the book, she briefly describes the kinds of communications that all businesses need . . . and adds the concepts of regular family meetings about the business. She describes a process for starting and running those meetings.

To help family members communicate better, she provides a series of exercises to help spot the issues. Among the exercises is a lengthy section on psychological profiling. Here is where the book broke down, for her ideas are very oversimplified and dangerous in the ways that she suggests using them.

In addition, I have never seen a book about business communication with so few practical suggestions in it on that subject. For instance, there's not a single hint of Neuro-Linguistic Programming research, emotional intelligence leadership or mainline research on how to build rapport (she only has some oversimplified suggestions for her four archetypes). More subtle research on communications is also missing. It's as though she attended a brief seminar on the subject, and then wrote a book about what she heard.

The book is an extremely slim one both content and lengthwise, and does not seem worth the $17.95 cover price.

Unless you know nothing about how to convene a family meeting to discuss business issues, I suggest that you skip this book.

As I finished the book, I was reminded that the best way to hear if you are getting your point across is to ask the person you have been speaking with what you have been saying. Then, correct any misunderstandings . . . and keep repeating until you sense that understanding has occurred. Then, follow up to see if the actions taken reflect what you were trying to communicate. If the actions don't match you intention, ask the other person to explain why they did what seems inappropriate. Continue as before to resolve misunderstandings and hidden assumptions. Plan to repeat your message at last 30 times before it will begin to sink in.

Rating:
Summary: From the Kitchen Table to the Conference Table
Review: Molly's Reviews:

Comprising six well developed chapters From the Kitchen Table To the Conference Table is offered as a tool for improving work and personal relationships. Family Meetings are suggested as a method for improving family and business relationships. Joys and pitfalls of working with those in your own family is approached in a no nonsense manner laced with good straight forward hints, information and wisdom as well as a bit of humor and plain old common sense. I found Michaud's discussion of communication and behavioral styles and how they affect business success to be especially enlightening. The chapters on The Value and Richness in Diversity and How to Make the Difference Work were filled with excellent examples, suggestions and wit done up with creativity and a finely focused sense of significance.

Rating:
Summary: From the Kitchen Table to the Conference Table
Review: Molly's Reviews:

Comprising six well developed chapters From the Kitchen Table To the Conference Table is offered as a tool for improving work and personal relationships. Family Meetings are suggested as a method for improving family and business relationships. Joys and pitfalls of working with those in your own family is approached in a no nonsense manner laced with good straight forward hints, information and wisdom as well as a bit of humor and plain old common sense. I found Michaud's discussion of communication and behavioral styles and how they affect business success to be especially enlightening. The chapters on The Value and Richness in Diversity and How to Make the Difference Work were filled with excellent examples, suggestions and wit done up with creativity and a finely focused sense of significance.