{"id":321,"date":"2010-04-19T01:26:11","date_gmt":"2010-04-19T08:26:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/irabryck.com\/?page_id=321"},"modified":"2026-05-11T23:47:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T06:47:16","slug":"blog","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/irabryck.com\/?page_id=321","title":{"rendered":"Blog"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
\n
I was reminiscing about family businesses I\u2019ve worked with,<\/span> <\/strong>and checked in on a few, years later.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
In one, a founding couple died, then their son, who\u2019d taken the helm. His quiet, introverted widow inherited the reins\u2014and to everyone\u2019s surprise, thrived. In another, a woman I nearly advised to quit\u2014so little faith did I have in her\u2014outlasted her parents and siblings, and is now beloved by customers. And in a third, the obvious heir apparent quit soon after our consultation, leaving two unlikely siblings to step in and do a bang-up job.\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
These stories remind me that business families should talk through how every possible successor\u2014obvious or not\u2014might run the company. It\u2019s a chance to listen, offer constructive input, and appreciate the person you\u2019d least expect, who might one day be the only one left standing.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Appreciative Inquiry is one way to let every candidate audition in a safe, exploratory process. The group starts by recalling moments when the business was at its best\u2014stories that reveal strengths and values some have been quietly holding. From there, the conversation shifts to imagining the future if those qualities were put to work. Ideas turn into doable strategies, matched to each personality and talent. Then comes the chance to try things\u2014letting people step in, experiment, and prove themselves. It\u2019s not a rigid selection\u2014it\u2019s discovery at work, where the \u201cleast likely\u201d sometimes shine brightest.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Family business researcher Ivan Lansberg notes that two-thirds of successors lack the Musketeers\u2019 \u201call for one, one for all\u201d spirit. Yet by considering everyone, you might uncover those with the skill and heart to form what John Kotter calls a \u201ccoalition for change.\u201d<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
This spirit thrives when you work on the business, not just in it. Begin with the end in mind\u2014even when you don\u2019t know what it will look like\u2014and you\u2019ll see the value in exploring several futures. It\u2019s not wasted time. It\u2019s sharpening the axe.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Most people don\u2019t exactly PLAN<\/strong><\/span> to work in their family business (unless you count being dragged to the store\/office\/factory on school holidays as \u201cplanning\u201d). How do people end up here?<\/p>\n