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email: contact@thehublergroup.com

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]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:04 GMT <![CDATA[ Home]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/home.aspx Recent Articles and News
More articles can be found in Ownership Planning, Management and Leadership, Business Planning and Family Planning
]]> Fri, 12 Feb 2010 01:11:53 GMT <![CDATA[ Published Articles]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/Resources/PublishedArticles.aspx A pioneer in family business consulting, Tom Hubler has authored many articles drawn from experience in his practice and study. We've gathered a few of Tom's most insightful and illuminating pieces in PDF form for you to read and enjoy.

Perpetuating The Family Business
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - September 2009
This article discusses the role of the non-family manager in a family business, which sometimes can be a tricky one. The non-family manager position requires someone with strong business skills and at the same time, he or she must be an effective coach and teacher for the next generation and is required to manage the politics of the family and not get caught in the middle.

Family Business In Uncertain Economic Times
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - May 2009
This article highlights the importance of having a business plan. When it comes to tough economic times family businesses are not exempt from the impact - it is all around us. Business has to be conducted just a little bit differently. The key is to success in tough times is have a plan. One of my mentors, the late Bill Knowlan used to say, "A plan that is not working is better than no plan at all." This is certainly true in today's environment. My hope is that you will create a plan to manage for success in these tough economic times.

I Wish We Could Have Had This Conversation Before We Married
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - March 2009
The article focuses on one of the most painful issues I come across in my work with family-owned businesses having to do with the in-laws joining the family business. As a result of a new family member not understanding the expectations of the family in regards to their role, frustration and hurt feelings occur. Entering a new marriage and entering a family is always a challenge, but in the context of a family-owned business it is even more challenging.

The Last Challenge Of Entrepreneurship - Part IV
Part IV is the fourth and final of a series of four articles written by Tom Hubler that focus on the topic of succession planning.
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - January 2009
This article focuses on service and philanthropy and the role these play with an entrepreneur. From my perspective, it is the responsibility of the entrepreneur to coordinate and sponsor these events with their family, including their adult children, spouses and grandchildren.

The Last Challenge Of Entrepreneurship - Part III
Part III is the third of a series of four articles written by Tom Hubler that focus on the topic of succession planning.
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - November 2008
This article focuses on the question of finding a replacement for an entrepreneur, and is truly a vexing question in the context of family businesses. From my perspective, it is almost impossible to select a replacement - the only way to do that is to have the entrepreneur to become an architect or designer of the new system. The new system includes governance, as well as the leadership system within the business. It is a daunting task for many entrepreneurs, but for those who have implemented active boards of directors with outside advisors the results speak for themselves.

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The Last Challenge Of Entrepreneurship - Part II
Part II is the second of a series of four articles written by Tom Hubler that focus on the topic of succession planning.
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - September 2008
This article is a continuation of the discussion on the last challenge of entrepreneurship. It focuses on legacy and the non-financial aspects of legacy that, according to an Allianz study, are 10 times more important then the financial aspects of inheritance. With that thought in mind, I encourage you to pursue and fine-tune your legacy.

The Last Challenge Of Entrepreneurship - Part I
Part I is the first of a series of four articles that focus on the topic of succession planning.
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - July 2008
Letting go and saying good-bye to our careers is something that is difficult for all of us. It is particularly difficult in the context of a family business where owner-entrepreneurs have devoted a major and significant portion of their work life to their company and career. The stress of this period can be alleviated by planning and using it as an opportunity to redefine your role in the company. From my perspective, entrepreneurs don’t have to leave their companies; they just need to change their job descriptions.

Selling The Family Business - What About The Boss?
This article explores the B.O.S.S. concept for family business management.
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - May 2008
One of the more perplexing questions for family businesses is what to do when there are either no children or children who are not interested in the family business. In this case, the option of selling is always a consideration, but many times the decision to sell can be an emotionally wrenching one. This article explores how to use the B.O.S.S. concept to discover how to proceed.

Family Business Leadership - Part III
Part III is the third in a series of three articles that focus on the topic of family business leadership.
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - March 2008
This is the final segment in a series of three articles I have written on leadership. The article discusses the integration of emotional intelligence into the leadership process. Effective leadership basically integrates the notion of somantics into the leadership process. I believe somantics is one of the keys to fully developing your emotional intelligence, which has to do with the awareness of self and others.

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Family Business Leadership - Part II
Part II is a series that focuses on the topic of family business leadership.
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - January 2008
This article discusses the importance of leaders to integrate their mind and body, and how we need to "embody" our leadership. The concept of "embodiment" is one that Richard Strozzi-Heckler of the Strozzi Institute located in Petaluma, California, uses in his workshops and leadership training programs.

Family Business Leadership - Part I
Part I in a three-part series on the topic of leadership in the business family.
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - November 2007
One of the myths in family owned businesses is that leaders are born, not made. Tom's belief is that leaders can be successfully trained and developed. This series will begin with a discussion of the three C's, and subsequent articles will discuss the integration of mind and body, as well as emotional intelligence.

Healthy Families
Part II of the series on the characteristics of healthy families.
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - September 2007
Tom Hubler makes the case for building the emotional equity of your family, not only for the sake of the family, but also for the sake of the business. Research indicates that families that attend to family matters not only have closer families, but also experience businesses that are more profitable.

Happy Families
Part I in a two-part series on a trio of characteristics that create healthy families.
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - July 2007
One of the distinguishing characteristics about successful family businesses is that their success is due, in large part, to positive healthy family relationships. Consequently, healthy family relationships positively influence the culture of family businesses and create a significant impact on the culture of the business. As a result, healthy family relationships impact the bottom line of family businesses.

Rock Solid
Creating a strong family foundation on which to build your business
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - May 2007
This article discusses what you, as families in business, need to have to be a successful family business. This article also discusses benchmarks for family businesses to use in evaluation of where they stand in regards to the infrastructure of a successful family business.

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The Powers That Be
Understanding the give and take of sovereignty in family business
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - March 2007
This article discusses the issue of sovereignty. Powerful parents in the family business often bring their clout as business leaders into the family and inadvertently threaten the authority of their adult children. By the same token, adult children may be reluctant to share their concerns because of the working relationship with their parents. This article sheds some light on this dynamic and creates an opportunity for members of family businesses to clarify their expectations.

Coming Into Money
Preparing your children for a lifetime of wealth
Thomas M. Hubler
Article from Minnesota Business - January 2007
Most families address wealth education with their children as they do sex education - they avoid it. The reality being that if you, as a parent, wait and talk to your children later, there will be a certain set of issues to address. On the other hand, if you talk with your children early and prepare them, there will be an entirely different set of issues. The questions you must ask are which set of issues would you rather contend with, and which set of issues will provide you with the greatest opportunity to influence and guide your children? I believe there is a definite benefit in talking with your children early on, especially in the context of your family and your family?s values, as it will help prepare them for the responsibilities associated with having wealth.

Emotionally Speaking
Thomas M. Hubler
Exploring the poignant points of passing the torch.
Article from Minnesota Business - September 2006

Rites Of Passage
Thomas M. Hubler
Setting expectations and criteria for next generation
leaders is essential.
Article from Minnesota Business - March 2006

Show Them The Money
Thomas M. Hubler
Teaching the next generation how to handle wealth.
Article from Minnesota Business - January 2006

The Forest For The Trees
Thomas M. Hubler
To enjoy the holidays - keep family business at work. By talking too much about the business during family celebrations you could inadvertently alienate family members not actively involved in the business.
Article from Minnesota Business - November 2005

The Price Of Peacekeeping
Thomas M. Hubler
Small problems ignored become very large problems.
Article from Minnesota Business - July 2005

Forgiveness As An Intervention In Family-Owned Business: A New Beginning
Thomas M. Hubler
This article explores the notion of bringing a family business's family values and traditions regarding religion and forgiveness into their everyday lives to create healing when family business differences have broken or severed family relationships.
Article from Family Business Review - June 2005

Family Circles Of Influence
Thomas M. Hubler
The importance of defining expectations
Article from Minnesota Business - March 2005

Ties That Bind
Thomas M. Hubler
How to keep the "family" in family business
Article from Minnesota Business - January 2005

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An Article by Thomas M Hubler
This is an electronic version of an article published in Family Business Review. Complete citation information for the final version of the paper, as published in the print edition of Family Business Review.

Ten Most Prevalent Obstacles To Family Business Succession Planning
By Thomas M. Hubler
In a recent presentation at the University of St. Thomas Center for Family Enterprise Family Business Forum, John Davis, family business consultant, researcher and educator, commented that everything consultants like himself teach, their clients already know. In order to be successful, they need to confront or deal with the obstacles. Of course, the first question that popped into my mind was: What are those issues? As I looked back over my practice, I began to identify some common obstacles. But, before I name these obstacles for discussion, I will describe the context in which I work with my clients.

Family Business Consultants As Leaders
By Thomas M. Hubler
Working with family businesses as a consultant is one of the most awesome responsibilities I can imagine. It incorporates managing family issues and concerns as well as business issues and concerns and the interrelationship between the two. The impact of choices made by the consultant can have far-reaching effects for both family and business that can impact generations of family members.

Plan Now To Ensure A Successful Transition...Later
It's important to understand what makes ownership and management transitions in family-owned businesses so challenging: the overlap between two separate and distinct organizations-the family and the business. Tom Hubler examines the family and business and offers four key strategies for creating balance between family and business.

Top]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:44 GMT <![CDATA[ Tom Hubler DVD]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/Resources/TomHublerDVD.aspx
View Tom's insights into:

Family Business Management	Conflict Resolution
Succession Management	Family Legacy
Family Business Consulting	A Key Belief of Tom Hubler
A Constructive Perspective for Conflict Resolution	The B.O.S.S.
Kything	The Importance of Understanding

Receive Tom Hubler's DVD, My Life and Work, My Soul and Legacy, by mailing a check made out to Hubler for Business Families for $99 to:
80 South Eighth Street
Suite 900
Minneapolis, MN 55402 ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:42 GMT <![CDATA[ Specialists]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/Resources/Specialists.aspx
The Le Van Company's Transition Advisory Service that helps business families discover good answers to tough questions.

The business philosophy of Rauenhorst Recruiting Company is simple and effective. "We help your company achieve its strategic goals by providing the key talent and consultative assistance required to be successful."

Wealth Management Consultants, Inc. (WMC) provides fee-only financial counseling to corporate executives, wealthy individuals and family business owners internationally.

Executive Coaching
Gary Cohen at CO2 Partners helps new and established leaders achieve peak performance for themselves and for the organization they are taking to new heights. This is done through a combination of business coaching, consulting and training. CO2 Partners also offers executive search services for clients.

Ask Don't Tell Leadership
This is a leader to leader forum of learning how to move from being a leader to becoming an exceptional leader. Explore how leaders can use questions to move an organization to its end goal while inspiring, motivating, building trust, empowering, teaching, guiding and not telling. It is about everyday leadership!

Perfect Biz Match
PERFECT BIZ MATCH is a road map to help managers navigate in today's complex and challenging business environment and steer their organizations on a path to success. Created by The Jack Tesmer Institute which is headquartered in Minneapolis and is comprised of executives, researchers, and educators - all committed to helping business survive and thrive in today's turbulent markets. The Jack Tesmer Institute is an "assessment" company, dedicated to developing and delivering reliable and valid assessments of the competitive market position of products and services.

Based on Jack Tesmer's book, the Free PBM assessment is the cornerstone of a dynamic block of well tested assessment offerings.

Minnesota Family Business Awards
Hubler for Business Families has partnered with Minnesota Business Magazine to create the annual Minnesota Family Business Awards.

Nominate an Outstanding Family Business for the 2010 Minnesota Family Business Awards.
]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:40 GMT <![CDATA[ Resources]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/Resources/Resources.aspx My Life and Work, My Soul and My Legacy and links to specialists who've worked with us and our clients.

CONSIDER TOM'S INSIGHTS, TALK TO A SPECIALIST.

Tom Hubler's DVD life, work, soul and my legacy

Both Tom Hubler's published articles and his interviews broadcast via electronic media are fine resources for the family owned business because they contain unique insights Tom has gained throughout his distinguished career.

Tom Hubler's published articles and broadcast interviews.

We've also collected clips from Tom Hubler's DVD, My Life and Work, My Soul and My Legacy.

As family business consultants, we sometimes call on the expertise of specialists in various fields to help our clients. We offer links to their websites as a resource to your family business. Specialists in areas of interest to family businesses

To learn more, email us, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:03 GMT <![CDATA[ Vision For Success]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/Services/VisionForSuccess.aspx

The six steps include:

Initial Consultation
Family Business Assessment
Information Analysis
Family Business Planning Meeting
Plan Implementation
Plan Maintenance

VISION FOR SUCCESS™, IN MORE DETAIL.

Initial Consultation
An introductory, no-obligation session introduces the principals and other involved family members of your firm to the program. We'll discuss your needs, goals, and how Vision for Success™ can help.

Family Business Assessment
We conduct a series of confidential interviews to develop the necessary understanding of the issues, concerns, and goals of your family, plus business history, current issues, concerns and future growth. Family members, spouses, key non-family managers, and professional advisors typically participate in the interview process.

Information Analysis
Following the interviews and data compilation, we analyze and organize the information. We identify the major issues facing your family business and focus on those issues that will help or hinder your efforts to achieve your goals. We make recommendations that will serve as the foundation for you to create a comprehensive organization plan.

Family Business Planning Meeting
We present and discuss the analysis with you, make recommendations, and then collaborate with you to accomplish two goals at this meeting: to reach a common understanding of issues and concerns, and to create an action plan to address the issues presented. The action plan is your blueprint for future growth for both family and business.

We begin the meeting by assisting you in understanding and honoring differences among you and providing you with communication tools that serve to make your planning meetings successful.

Vision for Success™ Plan Implementation
Here, we collaborate with you and your other professional advisors to implement the plan established at the Planning Meeting. We help you set time lines and delegate responsibility for action. It often includes a series of smaller family discussions, facilitated by a Hubler for Business Families consultant. In this meeting, the Vision for Success™ program answers critical questions raised earlier in the engagement and assists your family-owned business in successfully achieving its goals.

Plan Maintenance
An integral part of the program includes periodic reviews with you and your staff during and after the implementation phase. Together, we'll evaluate your progress and make any necessary modifications to your action plan. With the knowledge that key issues and relationships are interwoven in a family-owned business, this program gives you the skills to manage those issues and create the relationships you envision to benefit both family and business.

Having a clear picture of what you want for your business and your family is essential for success and satisfaction. We can help you with your Vision for Success™. Email us, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:54:24 GMT <![CDATA[ Wealth Care Management]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/Services/WealthCareManagement.aspx
Just as important as wealth preservation is Wealth Preparation Planning. Its purpose is to prepare family members for the responsibility and emotional impact of wealth.

A two-part process, Wealth Preparation Planning begins with an examination of family heritage.

History and ancestry
Visions and values
Family stories, traditions and wealth values.

The second part of Wealth Preparation Planning explores and identifies:

Values
Self loving
Caring
Life meaning
Generativity
Fulfillment
Sense of purpose

Introducing Wealth Care Management^sm.
Wealth Care Management^sm is our proprietary approach to joining the financial considerations of Wealth Preservation Planning with the emotional considerations of Wealth Preparation Planning. Wealth Care Management^sm is the greatest assurance that can be taken for preserving wealth through succeeding generations.

You've worked too hard to let the family fortune slip through your fingers. Wealth Care Management^sm can help you for today and generations to come. Contact us today by Email us, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form.]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:54:22 GMT <![CDATA[ Seminars]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/Services/Seminars.aspx Tom Hubler is a very popular speaker at trade association meetings. He presents a variety of seminars to help family businesses begin to address difficult topics like career planning, appropriate placement of both family and non-family managers in management positions, and leadership skill development.

SUCCEEDING AT SUCCESSION is a traditional view of succession planning from an inside out perspective. It starts with the concept of purpose, outlines what motivates entrepreneurs, what the obstacles are to succession planning and ends with the traditional view of the four plans necessary for successful family businesses.

Contact Tom Hubler about this seminar.

THE POWER, MAGIC AND MYSTERY OF A COMMON VISION focuses on the necessary ingredients to unite a family business family around a common vision. The presentation focuses on the positive family values of a family and converts them into a format that assists with working together as a high performance team.

Contact Tom Hubler about this seminar.

PASSION, POWER AND PURPOSE: LEADERSHIP AND CAREER PLANNING FOR THE FAMILY BUSINESS is a presentation that emphasizes the importance of career and leadership planning in family-owned businesses. The presentation starts with a traditional focus on younger generation adult children, discusses the concept of letting go, and ends with the application of career and leadership planning for the senior generation.

Contact Tom Hubler about this seminar.

UNDERSTANDING LEGACY: YOUR GIFT TO THE FUTURE. This is a presentation that taps the interest and passion of all entrepreneurs and their families as they look toward the future. The program offers an explanation of legacy, covers what is a legacy, why it is so important in succession planning and wealth, what are the five parts of a successful legacy, and specific suggestions and ideas for the creation of a legacy will are also be explored.

Contact Tom Hubler about this seminar.

COMMUNICATION AND FORGIVENESS: AN INTEGRAL FORCE FOR FAMILY BUSINESSES. This presentation explores communication and forgiveness and how they apply in the family business. The presentation shows even with people we love how important it is to communicate and forgive, including the people we love most. The steps of forgiveness are explored as a part of the program.

Contact Tom Hubler about this seminar.

Career planning, management selection, leadership skill development and team building are only a few of the challenges that family businesses face each day. Attending any of our Seminars can open new doors to help make running the family business more efficient - and enjoyable. Email us, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:39 GMT <![CDATA[ Spirited Leadership]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/Services/SpiritedLeadership.aspx Communication and Management of Conflict
Hubler for Business Families offers a series of successful programs in this area. The programs are tailored to you needs and emphasize the development of listening, understanding, communication skills and the successful management of differences in family-owned businesses.

Family Business Meetings
Family business meetings are an integral part of the change process for family-owned businesses. They provide an opportunity for the family to build a shared vision for the future, to meet and discuss relevant issues regarding the business and to prevent the business from eroding family relationships. Often these are half-day or day-long off-site meetings which offer family members an opportunity to reflect, share and build understanding away from the demands of the business. Initially, they are professionally facilitated in the context of the program, but most family businesses quickly establish their own leadership and continue to meet on a quarterly basis or as needed.

Strategic Planning
As family businesses move through ownership and management transitions, they often must move from an entrepreneurial to a managerial approach to the business. A strategic planning process provides an excellent roadmap for this transition, providing the opportunity to evaluate the current system and refocus the business goals and organizational plan. At HFBC, we tailor the planning process to each organization, based on size and special needs.

Money and the Family Business
Money represents one of the three most difficult topics of discussion in our culture. Money and the emotional conflicts it creates for family-owned businesses are well documented, particularly in the areas of ownership, compensation and estate planning. Professional financial strategies combined with thoughtful family discussions, can prevent the erosion of family relationships due to issues of money.

Family Wealth Preparation Planning
If you're concerned that wealth transferred to your children will act as a disincentive or erode family values, our Family Wealth Preparation service can help. It presents ways to use financial resources in a positive way and prepares children in families of significant wealth for stewardship. Our Family Wealth Preparation service shows family members how to use their wealth as an extension of your family values. Discussions cover philanthropy and how family members can lead purposeful lives, contributing to the community and their family.

How do you inspire a sense of teamwork? How can you effectively share your purpose and vision for the future? We can help to guide the family business with spirited leadership. Email us, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form.]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:37 GMT <![CDATA[ Estate Planning]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/Services/EstatePlanning.aspx
Estate planning is also necessarily for equitable treatment of the children.

It's often difficult for parents to treat their children equally because they're so different. As a result, it's important to develop a plan. Then, once the plan is established, the family needs to get together and discuss how the parents plan to address the adult children equitably. Often the younger generation can make suggestions and clarifications that allow the parents to fine tune their plan with their estate planning professionals.

Whether it's effective tax planning, guaranteeing seniors' economic security or planning the equitable distribution of assets in the future, effective planning today can ease the burdens of running the family business tomorrow. We can help with your estate planning starting now. Email us, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:35 GMT <![CDATA[ Asset Protection]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/Services/AssetProtection.aspx

Three concerns drive the senior generation in family-owned businesses: health concerns, family harmony and economic security.

Because the family business is often the owner's primary asset, the asset protection plan needs to guarantee economic security. Along with that is the peace of mind that comes with knowing everything you've worked for will be there for the next generation. There are also many ways to save the owner/entrepreneur taxes. We can help you create a transition plan addressing these concerns.

Protecting the economic security of your family with a well-considered transition plan is essential for the long-term success of any family business. We can help you with your asset protection. Email us, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:34 GMT <![CDATA[ Leadership Programs]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/Services/LeadershipPrograms.aspx

LEADERSHIP ASSESSMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

Our Leadership Development Program is a rigorous one-and-a-half-day assessment program to determine key leadership strengths and highlight areas for development. The program assesses interests, skills, and potential for development in the areas of commitment, competence and character. Once the assessment is complete, a development plan is created to guide the individual's learning for a two-year time period. The program can be used for selection of applicants, promotional decision making and developing managers in their current positions.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT PLANNING

This program is designed to meet the career planning needs of individuals at all stages of career development: Early decision making for career and job search, Rethinking process of mid-career managers, Life/career planning of the senior generation.

The focus of the assessment and action planning is on career interests, life purpose, utilization of natural gifts, and strategic planning to meet the individual's goals.

INDIVIDUAL COACHING FOR EFFECTIVENESS

Hubler for Business Families' Individual Coaching Program is designed to help managers increase their personal and leadership effectiveness, and may be designed around such areas as influencing others, building commitment with employees, emotional maturity, time management, and collaboration problem solving. All programs are geared toward helping the organization achieve its specific strategic goals.
LIFE/CAREER PLANNING FOR THE SENIOR GENERATION

Life/Career Planning is an integral part of the succession planning process. It enables the senior generation, as a couple, to begin the process of designing their relationship with regard to each other, work, money and wealth, community service, leisure time, health, and spirituality. The Life/Career Planning process allows the entrepreneur and his/her spouse to create their ideal future, live their lives to the fullest and convert their life experiences to wisdom for the benefit of their family, their company, their community and each other.

TEAM BUILDING

These services provide organizations an opportunity to proactively address team-related issues such as collaborative decision making, communication flow, honoring of differences, building a common vision, and roles and responsibilities on the team. In addition, the programs can help resolve team conflicts that have become organizational or departmental obstacles to effectiveness. These programs emphasize the development of listening, assertiveness, and negotiation skills. A variety of tools and processes are employed based on the specific needs of the group.

Being a leader isn't just a title. It's an obligation. We can help you learn more about how to become the kind of leader that inspires confidence and loyalty. Email us, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form.]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:32 GMT <![CDATA[ Services]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/Services/Services.aspx

Hubler for Business Families: Vision for Success(tm)

We offer support to your family to implement practical solutions to your issues. Ownership, leadership, business management, succession, fairness among all parties, goal setting, economic security and life enhancement are covered. Our family business services provide tools for each family and business.

We begin with our Vision for Success^TM - a proven, proprietary solution. This multi-step process helps our clients achieve balance in their business and family and is the core of what we do.

OUR FAMILY BUSINESS SERVICES:

]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:00 GMT <![CDATA[ Danz Family]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/CaseStudies/DanzFamily.aspx The Danz family has been working together for approximately 30 years. Over the last 10 years things have been very difficult as they approached succession planning and they had three misfires that caused the family and company a considerable amount of frustration. For the last four years the father and the oldest son have been working side-by-side but have not spoken a word despite the fact they work in a relatively small business. As a result of their common vision they were able to turn things around both for their business as well as their family relationship. Essentially the family began to build on a strong core of family values of generosity and appreciation for each other's gifts. From an individual perspective, the father has been overwhelmed to some extent by his success and saw himself as being blessed by God's abundance. He was eager to be nourished by giving back. Currently the dad is involved in a lot of community projects behind the scenes to assist people less fortunate. His individual vision and kything are shown here.

DANZ COMMON FAMILY VISION

In our family and business we promote respect, honesty, fairness and encourage an environment that is loyal and unified. At the heart of our vision is our commitment to generosity, quality, and an appreciation of each other's gifts. As a hard-working and dedicated family, we communicate and celebrate our spirituality.

FATHER'S INDIVIDUAL VISION

I and my family are blessed by God's abundance. I am nourished by giving back.

KYTHING

May (wife) be inspired by God's generous live.

May (son #2) inspire those he works with to achieve their highest potential.

May (daughter-in-law) experience the gifts of her life and the joy of nurturing God's love in her family.

May (son #1) continue the feeling of contentment and appreciation for the blessings in his life regarding family and business. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:31 GMT <![CDATA[ Lincoln-Smith Family]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/CaseStudies/LincolnSmithFamily.aspx
LINCOLN-SMITH COMMON VISION

Because we embrace the past, we are presented with an opportunity to create a new beginning in which we and our family stand united by these values:

Respect
Compassion
Trust
Generosity
Fairness
Integrity

Guided by these values we are committed to:

Open communication
Support of family goals
Create opportunities for success both inside and outside the business; be able to follow your passion
Giving back to the community

NORMA SMITH - INDIVIDUAL VISION

Being appreciated, honored and encouraged to be me-becoming. Dreaming my dreams and trusting to share with others, I am always fulfilled.

LINCOLN-SMITH FAMILY KYTHING

May Jim experience himself as an effective individual who manages challenges and guides others to a successful completion of tasks.

May Janet experience herself as compassionate, respectful of herself and others, and fair in dealing with family and employees.

May Bob and the business serve as a magnet to help draw the family closer together by providing opportunities that include dividends, jobs, philanthropy and physical meetings. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:29 GMT <![CDATA[ Berber Family]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/CaseStudies/BerberFamily.aspx The Berber family has a small business where business issues and differences were eroding family relationships. Both Jim and Nancy Berber were in a second marriage and had a situation of "my" children and "your" children who were both working in the business. As a family, in a magical sort of way, they were able to create a common vision that for them represented life's sacred process. The father's individual vision was also interesting insofar as that he saw himself as a sage and was at a point in his life where the wanted to provide this as a benefit to his family and others for years to come.

Berber Common Family Vision

As stewards of life's sacred process, we use each of our resources in our family company as a creative outlet for our gifts and skills. With passion we pursue our work as an adventure balanced with thrift, honesty, kindness, and fairness. We celebrate our commitment to serve each other, our customers, and our community.

FATHER'S INDIVIDUAL VISION

My legacy of versatility, combined with thrift, industry, and some innovative seasoning, will serve my family, others, and me for years to come.

BERBER FAMILY KYTHING

May (step-son) continue to grow with the business and focus on the dream with a sense of sincerity and humility.

May (son #1) continue to act in a forthright and honest manner in all of his relationships as he keeps sight of the big picture and acts in whole sentences and paragraphs.

May (son #2) experience himself as the suspension that smoothes the ride and keeps the family business from jumbling itself.

May (wife) experience strength in a shared vision as she serves with gladness of heart for the benefit of the family and the community. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:27 GMT <![CDATA[ Hanson Family]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/CaseStudies/HansonFamily.aspx

HANSON COMMON FAMILY VISION

Like a living tree our family is strong and flexible. We share our lives together and support each other in joy and grief. With the celebration of our values and gifts we give to others and strengthen our communities.

FATHER'S INDIVIDUAL VISION

I am alive each day with a healthy body and mind enabling me to appreciate the joys, challenges, and experiences open to me. I successfully transmit my values, knowledge, and wisdom of a lifetime to my children and grandchildren. My life abounds with love to and from wife and family and friends. I consistently pursue my life purpose of knowing, serving and experiencing.

FAMILY KYTHING

May Alice experience a sense of peacefulness and joy as she gives and receives love and grows in her ability to serve and learn.

May Gary connect with others in a soulful and heart-centered manner with music that touches others and highlights his regard for beauty, respect and a supportive community.

May Cindy experience the blessings and limitations of herself and others and give and accept support freely so that she may grow in love and increase her impact on the world. May she dare to live and work among the best.

May Stan experience support, humility, compassion and fulfillment as he contributes to his own and his family's well being.

May Laura experience her vision of a compassionate community.

May Mark experience harmonious balance in his family and work and many his relationships continue to be close, enjoyable and fulfilling as he experiences a sense of pride in his two sons.

May Kristin experience success in her boldness to create originality, joy, health and harmony. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:26 GMT <![CDATA[ Kelly Family]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/CaseStudies/KellyFamily.aspx The Kelly family vision is an example of a family business where the father had died. His death created many problems not only for the business, but also for the family. The company stock was put in a trust for the benefit of the children. The oldest son was excluded from owning the stock and even working in the business. The trust created a board of directors who hired a general manager, and this created a very difficult process for the son. The family legacy was what drew the family together, and essentially the family was united by fulfilling the father's legacy. The mother's individual vision in the example used here wanted to support her children and the ongoing success of the company as well as the board and her children's wishes.

KELLY COMMON FAMILY VISION

With a generosity of spirit, we complete our father's legacy of hard work by continuing to celebrate his values of loyalty, trust and honesty. We value each other and trust that our dedication to these values will create family harmony and happiness.

JOAN'S INDIVIDUAL VISION (MOTHER)

With expectations for good health (till a ripe old age) my vision is to enjoy my golden years with a close relationship with my family and friends, having great joy in this life with a close relationship with my God. I will be supportive on the board of (the business) and to my children's wishes. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:24 GMT <![CDATA[ Humphrey Family]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/CaseStudies/HumphreyFamily.aspx

The Humphreys were three siblings working together in a family-owned business having completed the succession plan ten years earlier. They were having difficulty with issues of competency and raising questions about their contribution to the business and created a vision that focused on the values they would use to lead the company. Tony, the youngest of the three siblings and the leader of the group, used his individual vision to promote the values of his parents for the benefit of future generations.

HUMPHREY COMMON FAMILY VISION

With spirituality as a common/core value, we embrace and perpetuate the values that our ancestors instilled in us. We will lead the company and be guided by:

integrity
generosity
honesty
thriftiness

In our relationship with each other we commit to being humble, compassionate and forgiving. In all of our endeavors we will persevere, foster/express creativity, and have fun.

TONY'S INDIVIDUAL VISION

As an employee of the company I embody the values of my mother and father. I live these values for future generations to see-the values of hard work, creativity, generosity and compassion. My commitment flows from a love of God and others.

KYTHING

May (Sister #1) be an integral core of the business and use all of her potential to become a complete person who contributes to her family and company.

May (Sister #2) experience herself as an integral member of an empowered team that experiences her as competent and caring, and uses conflict for growth and improvement.

]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:22 GMT <![CDATA[ Harding Family]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/CaseStudies/HardingFamily.aspx
HARDING FAMILY VISION

Our company's 75-year history of success is maintained by our continuing commitment to these values, which will create a sense of fulfillment and joy for all.

Caring for each other, our employees and our customers
A sense of honesty, integrity and openness
Wisdom in guiding the company and in our decisions
Generosity of spirit for all who touch our company

OLDEST BROTHER'S INDIVIDUAL VISION

I am fulfilled, rewarded, and content in our company, what it stands for, and how it is perceived. I value my relationship with my sister, family and our employees.

KYTHING

May (brother) be fulfilled and rewarded for his leadership in the company and his values that support his sister, his family, and the employees of the company.]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:21 GMT <![CDATA[ Miller Family]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/CaseStudies/MillerFamily.aspx The Miller family had a very successful family-owned business, the success having exceeded the father's wildest dreams. He was particularly concerned about their resources and using them for the benefit of the community as opposed to having the family corrupted by them. You can see the vision they have created for themselves. The father's individual vision focuses on his role in the company as well as mentoring his children.

Miller Common Family Vision

We are a loving and proud family that upholds the highest values of integrity, respect, acceptance and open communication. We encourage each other while maintaining a spiritual and balanced life, sharing our wealth and personal gifts to the benefit of our family and community. Remaining loyal to each other and our traditions, we celebrate our family unity.

Father's Individual Vision

I am a leader that is developing our family business into an organization that continues to be an independent and growing company, long after my involvement, with employees that are proud of their association with the company. I also provide leadership and guidance to my family in improving and uplifting the lives of my children and grandchildren.

Kything

May Alice experience herself as a loving, caring and supportive wife, daughter and sister, who gives of herself unconditionally to her family.

May Dave experience himself as a link between today and tomorrow, both in the company as well as the family.

May Eileen provide support to her husband and his dreams with balance that allows them to raise their children with core family values.

May Tom feel a sense of support to establish family values of love, support and cohesiveness that can be passed on to his children and strengthen the family and it's values.

May Lois experience a nourishing environment in all parts of her life where love and respect allows family values to flourish.

May Joe experience himself as a family-oriented leader providing stability to his family through a balance of spiritual, financial, emotional and psychological needs through selflessness, love, support and optimism.

May Nora continue to celebrate the uniqueness and independence of her family and the individuals of her wider community creating an atmosphere of mutual respect, compassion, growth and joy. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:19 GMT <![CDATA[ Case Studies]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/CaseStudies/CaseStudies.aspx These family business case studies share a common plot: families creating a family vision that addresses such issues as estate planning, asset protection and succession planning. These family business success stories are the outgrowths of actual common visions created by families in business. All true, these business case studies have fictional names to inspire other families to work together to develop their own common vision.

A CONSTANT IN OUR FAMILY BUSINESS CASE STUDIES: COMMON VISION.

The creation of a common vision - for the family-owned business as well as personal relationships - is a valuable process and the resulting vision is a valuable tool for communication. Each family member and each person involved in the leadership of the business is involved.Everyone articulates an individual vision, and these are knit together to create an inclusive vision for the family members, for the family,and for the family-owned business.]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:01 GMT <![CDATA[ Bob Gazich]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/About/BobGazich.aspx Bob Gazich is a student of business and of people.

His successful career in sales and sales management taught him firsthand the importance and challenges of working with and leading others in a business setting. "Sales requires a closeness to the customer and an understanding of what customers need," Gazich reflects.

He became a student of how to work effectively with different personalities, manage conflict and achieve successful results. After 12 years in sales for a variety of industries from transportation to cellular phones, Gazich decided to formalize his interest and pursue a doctorate in counseling psychology.

Today, as a consultant with Hubler for Business Families, Gazich blends his 20 years of experience in sales management, psychology and education to help family businesses achieve their goals.

"When you examine who is contributing to the gross national product, it's a lot of family-owned businesses," Gazich says. "I like the challenge of helping families uncover their untapped potential."

"So much importance is put on leadership today," Gazich continues, "in both a good and not so good context. But it all boils down to the basics: good leadership is about character and competence." Gazich specializes in assisting adult children of business owners develop their career and leadership skills and provides ongoing coaching. He also provides succession planning services to family businesses in transition.

When he's not busy working with Hubler clients, Gazich teaches management courses at a variety of local universities, including the University of St. Thomas Center for Business Excellence and the College of St. Benedict/St. John's University.

He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration, as well as a master's and a doctoral degree in counseling psychology from the University of St. Thomas. He is a member of the Society of Consulting Psychologists and the American Psychological Association.

In his spare time, Gazich enjoys spending time with his wife and their three young sons, coaching youth hockey and baseball, and being active in their church and community. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:54:20 GMT <![CDATA[ Duchie Van Hoven]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/About/DuchieVanHoven.aspx Duchie Van Hoven has extensive experience with family owned businesses, both as a family member and as an outside consultant.

As a spouse of a fourth-generation family business, she became familiar firsthand with the challenge of balancing family and business roles. Today, she brings a unique perspective of the important role played by spouses. "Even though the spouse may not receive a paycheck, he or she can dramatically impact the success as well as the stumbles in the family business," she observes. "I can shed light on that when I speak from my own experience."

Van Hoven began her career as a paralegal, and worked briefly for her family's business when they opened a new subsidiary company. For nine years, Van Hoven owned a consulting firm, Personalized Shopping Just for You, where she served a variety of corporate and individual clients with personalized services and event planning.

Going through the Hubler process in 1986 with her family's business was a turning point. What she learned about the dynamics of family business intrigued Van Hoven, and led her to pursue a master's degree and to become a licensed family therapist. Since then, she has worked with a variety of family business clients to help them achieve their professional and personal goals by improving communication, identifying obstacles and facilitating conflict resolution.

Van Hoven holds a master of arts in professional counseling, with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy, from Argosy University. She is a qualified neutral mediator under Minnesota rule 114 and a licensed marriage and family therapist. She holds an undergraduate bachelor of arts degree from Metro State University in Minneapolis.

"Conflict is inevitable and positive. It is how a family deals with conflict that will determine whether the business succeeds or stumbles," Van Hoven says. "The most rewarding part for me is having families identify multigenerational issues that are occurring - and providing a safe place for people to speak what was previously unspoken."

Van Hoven resides in Eagan with her husband, David. In her time off, she enjoys golf, walking, ballroom dancing and spending time with friends and family. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:54:19 GMT <![CDATA[ Tom Hubler]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/About/TomHubler.aspx MEET TOM HUBLER, AMERICA'S PREEMINENT FAMILY BUSINESS CONSULTANT. Image of Tom Hubler

In 1980, when Tom began his career as a family business consultant, he was one of the few professionals addressing family-owned business needs in the United States. Since then, he has played a major role in shaping the family business consultant field, from helping colleges establish family business institutes to working directly as family business consultant for hundreds of clients.

Tom Hubler has become a friend and trusted advisor to the family. Richard Murphy, Jr., President/CEO Murphy Companies

Tom Hubler has become a friend and trusted advisor to the family. Richard Murphy, Jr., President/CEO Murphy Companies

Today, Tom continues his long-standing dedication to helping families of wealth and family-owned businesses succeed. He helps families develop a shared vision for the family and for the business; identify individual talents; tackle any unspoken issues; and create individual and organizational strategies to ensure a personally and financially rewarding business. In addition, Tom assists families of wealth with the creation of a wealth preparation plan that ensures family values continue to emphasize a family culture of gratitude, philanthropy and purposeful living.

ACHIEVEMENTS AS A FAMILY BUSINESS CONSULTANT.

Founding member and Fellow of the Family Firm Institute in Boston, a professional organization serving the needs of family-owned businesses
A professional in residence at the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, Minnesota) for ten years, Tom is a former adjunct instructor there, co-teaching a class in Family Business Management

RESPECTED SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND INSIGHT.

A nationally recognized expert on family business issues, Tom has made multiple appearances on NBC TV's Today Show. He has also been quoted in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Corporate Report, Nation's Business and Inc. Tom is an editorial board member of Family Business Review and has authored articles on success strategies for family businesses.

DEVELOPMENT OF A FAMILY BUSINESS CONSULTANT.

Tom developed many of his theories on family businesses and families of wealth while studying systems and organizational development as a Bush Leadership Fellow, and has taught at various universities. Today he lectures internationally on topics of interest to family businesses and families of wealth including:

Succeeding at Succession
The Power, Magic and Mystery of a Common Vision
Passion, Power and Purpose: Leadership and Career Planning for the Family Business
Understanding Legacy: Your Gift to the Future
Communication and Forgiveness: An Integral Force for Family Businesses

CERTIFICATION:

Certified leadership and career coach from the Hudson Institute (Santa Barbara, California)
Bush Leadership Fellow
Family Firm Institute Fellow

A PERSONAL NOTE:

Tom tends bees and harvests the honey for family, friends and clients. His "Three Acre Wood" honey is noted for its mellow flavor and vibrant color. Tom also hosts an annual "Feast of St. Ambrose" talk on beekeeping, a popular program at the Minneapolis Rotary Club where he has been a member since 1986.

For Tom, the adage Do what you love and you'll never work another day in your life is particularly appropriate. To work with the dean of family business consultants, email us, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form.
]]> Fri, 12 Feb 2010 01:10:48 GMT <![CDATA[ About Us]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/About/aboutus.aspx Fear, confusion, conflict and lack of direction can bring a family business into crisis. Through years of family-owned business consulting, we've found there is no reason a family business should falter; we can help overcome all those obstacles. We reach the business core and emotional heart to promote understanding, resolve issues and move you forward. As recognized leaders in the field of family-owned business consulting, we've helped hundreds of family businesses succeed across generations.

YOU AREN'T ALONE IN FACING ISSUES IN FAMILY BUSINESS.

"...brought our 48-year-old family
business with five siblings a new,
positive focus."
Mark Thompson, President
Thompson & Sons Family RV, LLC

Our Practice will:

- Help you apply resources to solve the problem
- Foster an environment (both mechanism and tone) to facilitate success
- Provide tools to promote communication, readiness and comfort.

At Hubler for Business Families, we've made it our life's work to help people succeed both in business and as a family. We would like to help you succeed with our family owned business consulting. Contact us (Email us, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form.) ]]> Fri, 12 Feb 2010 01:17:25 GMT <![CDATA[ Resolving Family Conflict Empowers]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/FamilyPlanning/ResolvingFamilyConflictEmpowers.aspx
We can help you can realize and benefit from the qualities found in empowered families.

Self responsibility
Authentic communication
Courage
Forgiveness
Leadership that promotes learning and growing (change)
Measurements of success and celebration
Honor the product (what) and the process (how)

A Key Belief of Tom Hubler

WHAT TOM HUBLER BELIEVES.

People are unique and gifted
Meaning and happiness stem from utilizing and manifesting your gifts in service of a higher power
We each have the ability to create our ideal futures
People and families need to be nourished by the regular infusion of love, recognition, appreciation and psychic energy
Transformation in relationships occurs at the boundary between forgiveness and self-righteousness
Uniting families in a common vision is critical to family unity
There is a higher power and wholeness and oneness is achieved through surrender.

Don't let family business disputes escalate into a family crisis. We can help you with resolving your family conflict with our Spirit & Work Programs as well as our exclusive Vision for Success^tm. Contact us today by Email, call us at 612.375.0640, or ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:55 GMT <![CDATA[ Resolving Work and Family Conflict]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/FamilyPlanning/ResolvingWorkandFamilyConflict.aspx
RESOLUTION THROUGH COMMUNICATION AND MANAGEMENT OF DIFFERENCES.

We can help resolve your work and family conflicts and manage your differences in a win-win manner. The approach at Hubler for Business Families is to build communication between members of your family business. Positive communication leads to a positive environment, and issues can be discussed constructively and resolved before problems fester.

We can help you better facilitate family conflict management with our Spirit & Work Programs as well as our exclusive Vision for Success^tm. Contact us today by Email, call us at 612.375.0640, or ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:53 GMT <![CDATA[ Family Business Conflict Resolution]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/FamilyPlanning/FamilyBusinessConflictResolution.aspx

Tom Hubler Discusses
Conflict Resolution

WORK ON BOTH SIDES OF THE EQUATION.

We start by asking, "What causes the family business conflict and what are the obstacles?" Finding the answers can result in a better sense of balance between the family and business. How do you arrive at the answer? On the family side, we will create a family plan that describes how you're going to be a family without undue influences of business. On the business side, we draw plans for ownership, management and leadership.

The family alone cannot solve every family business conflict. We can provide a fair and unbiased assessment of your family's conflicts - along with equitable solutions with our Spirit & Work Programs as well as our exclusive Vision for Success^tm. Contact us today by Email, call us at 612.375.0640, or ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:18 GMT <![CDATA[ Holidays]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/FamilyPlanning/Holidays.aspx
The story is about a bishop and his wife who are involved in a parish life. The bishop is driven to raise money for a new cathedral at the expense of everything else in his parish including his family. In the midst of the holiday season and beleaguered by his responsibilities, he asks God for help to relieve the pressure. God sends him an angel (Cary Grant) who, through a series of tricks, helps the bishop realize that his real mission in life is not to build a cathedral but to serve the needs of his parishioners.

In family businesses the family can become focused on building a cathedral (the business) at the expense of family relationships. During holiday gatherings, it's not unusual for the business to dominate the gathering.

Whatever your tradition, the holiday season is a wonderful opportunity to set aside the stress and strains of the business and celebrate all the special rituals that bind families together. For me the family is what makes the holidays special. As the family celebrates the holidays, we build the emotional value of family. This not only strengthens our family, but also continues to inspire, strengthen and infuse family value into the company.

The family's values are the core culture of the family's business. However, by talking too much about the business during family celebrations you could inadvertently alienate family members not actively involved in the business. So, keep normal business discussions in the boardroom and out of the holiday gatherings.

During this holiday season, seek new and innovative ways to celebrate that are inclusive and family oriented. Form a family holiday committee to evaluate if what you are doing to celebrate as family is working. If so, keep it; if not, come up with a new approach. Put the family in charge and keep it there.

Here some ways to strengthen your holiday celebration:

Have realistic expectations
Go out of your way to have fun
Family icebreakers - discuss in a group:

What's your favorite holiday memory?
What's the most exciting thing that's happened this past year?
What is your biggest dream for the New Year?

Do a multi-generation family picture
Learn about each other's kids - your nieces and nephews
Do your best to focus your time and energy on activities that celebrate family tradition and the blessings of the season
Do your best to limit business discussions; save them for a regularly scheduled family meeting.

The holiday season provides great opportunity to emphasize those family values that are the bedrock of your family. As you plan family activities understand that less is more. Consider what you can do to create balance, harmony, and enjoy the family and life you’ve created.

Happy Holidays. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:14 GMT <![CDATA[ The Soul of Family Business]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/FamilyPlanning/TheSoulofFamilyBusiness.aspx Family Business Review - September 2009

The goal of this paper is to supplement the paper entitled The Family Point of View, Family Social Capital, and Firm Performance: An Exploratory Test. Based on the paper, my assumption is the Family Point of View is a reality but its presence in family business is a function of the families' ability to nurture and create an environment that supports its development. Below, I provide insights from a practitioner's perspective about developing the family point of view, which often does not come easily and requires some changes in the way families communicate.

In over 30 plus years of working with families and family businesses, my experience is that there are few collaborative discussions that directly focus on conscience, ethics, norms and the creation of a family point of view. In my experience, the culture of the family business and the creation of the family point of view are frequently established by the father in his influential role in the family as the leader of the business. In order to achieve a more collaborative dialog for the creation of the family point of view the family must engage in activities that allow for the emergence of the family point of view through discussion of events that occur in the family and the family business.

In the discussion that follows, I provide a description and examples of what I do to promote the kind of dialog that develops the family point of view, which includes the following key ingredients:

A focus on the Soul of Family Business
The emergence and sharing of family values
The creation of and nurturance of a Common Family Vision based on the notion of building the emotional equity of the family
Family kything and reciprocal commitment to each others' success
Introduction of a model for collaborative communication
Regular and periodic family meeting to promote dialog
Solidification of moral infrastructure
Ethical norms-based on the family's soul

The discussion that follows is not meant to be an academic explication, but a description of how I see the guidelines provided above applied in family business.

The soul of family business.

The most perplexing question in the context of family businesses has to do with the nature of soul. From my perspective, soul is what drives all of what happens in family businesses, and it is the indefinable essence of a family's spirit and being. Soul is not something that can be measured or quantified, but it is easily recognizable by both its presence and absence. The soul of the family business is not easily defined. The following attempts to reflect its nature.

David Whyte (1994) in The Heart Aroused, quotes James Hillman and his definition of soul saying, "Its meaning is best given by its context ... words long associated with the soul amplify it further: mind, spirit, heart, life, warmth, humanness, personality, individuality, intentionality, essence, innermost purpose, emotion, quality, virtue, morality, sin, wisdom, death" (p.14). The soul, according to David Whyte, "has been imaged as ... given by God and thus, divine" (p. 14). The result ... it is important for families to be vigilent and receptive when the soul comes knocking with its implied sense of virtue and conscience.

It is important to understand that the soul will emerge, but families must be receptive, vigilent and accommodating when the soul cautiously presents itself. The recognition of the soul is not an automatic process - it requires the family to quiet itself so as to be able to recognize the soul when it emerges.

Clearly the soul is shy and reticent and easily spooked. At the same time, it is persevering and can be relentless with its message. What we need to understand is creating an environment where the soul's message can be savored and brought into the presence of family consciousness. The soul's presence, according to David Whyte (1994:15) is "... the palpable presence of some sacred otherness in our labors ...." It is does not make any difference if you call that otherness God, the universe, destiny, life or love. For me it is the source of moral consciousness that creates the family point of view.

The manifestation of the soul in family business comes, from my perspective, as a result of the emergence and discussion of family values. These values are those that the family wants to see perpetuated in the company and become the rich source of family creativity, ethics and the family's moral point of view. In my experience and in the process we use the family is asked what are the family values it would like to see perpetuated in the company. As a result of this question a rich family discussion occurs where family values are discussed and prioritized. The discussion is often enlightening for family members as they begin to verbalize and emotionally connect in a consensus way around their common family values. For me, these values are utilized in the creation of what I describe as a Common Family Vision which becomes the moral compass for a family as it creates the ethical climate for its family business and the foundation for the evolution of the family point of view.

The Common Family Vision in the context of our work with family owned businesses is a vision that comes out of the family's values. It is used as a superordinate goal to unite the family around its values and its soulfulness. The purpose of the common vision, while uniting the family, is also to inspire family members to both collectively and individually be able to manifest the vision in all aspect of their work and personal lives.

In order for the Common Family Vision to have a significant impact on the evolution of the family's conscience and the creation of the family point of view it is something that, in my experience, needs to be nurtured and recited on a daily basis. The benefit of the Common Family Vision and its value to the family may be accomplished as a group or by an individual family member. The individual or family can measure their performance and whether or not they are behaving consistently with their common vision. The daily recitation and repetitive nature embodies the spirit of the common vision and its values. The repetition is similar to that of high performance athletes or artists who are able to have their work become second nature due to the multiple repetitions they exhibit in their craft. The same is true in families, where they are able to recite the common vision so that it becomes an embodiment of their soul.

Two examples illustrate the creation of a common vision. First, the Danz family (fictitious name), a family consisting of a father, two sons and a mother who all worked in a small family business. The older son and father, although working side-by-side, had not spoken to each other in four years. At their initial family meeting they were able to put aside their differences and made a contribution to the common good, and participated with other members of the family to create their Common Family Vision:

As a conservative and traditional Catholic family, the Danz family's vision represents their soulfulness in coming together as a family to begin the dialog where their family point of view will emerge.

Another example is the Sweeney Family Common Vision. The Sweeney family, again a fictitious name, is a family of two parents with four adult children who owned a family business. Only the oldest son and the father worked in the business. The son and his father were having difficulties in terms of his emerging role as a leader. In addition, the parents were concerned that the financial blessings that were coming the way of the adult children would in fact corrupt their adult children and possibly have a negative impact on the grandchildren. The Sweeney Family's common vision is:

Again, the soulfulness of the family emerges in their common vision and becomes an inspiration for them as to how to lead their lives as a family, as well as their business and community involvement.

Another aspect of the common vision and building the emotional equity of the family is the Prayer for Loving Kindness. The ritual that we create for our families includes the recitation of the common vision, as well as the family Prayer for Loving Kindness. The prayer is:

The goal of the prayer for loving kindness is to assist the family in beginning to program their subconscious about what they want. Again, the idea is to recite the prayer on a daily basis so that it becomes a continuum or embodiment of the family's soulfulness and virtues. It becomes an inspiration to use the common vision as a resource to unite the family.

In my experience with family businesses, families are always trying to create unity in their families. The traditional methods and forms for creating unity include "compromise and giving things up." I encourage families to set aside the notion of compromise and giving things up. When people do that, they end up being frustrated and unhappy. I encourage them to understand that no individual in a family is always going to get 100% of what they want. Instead, family members should focus on doing what they can to make a contribution to the common good. Hopefully the contribution will come out of their love, generosity, and their sense of abundance and the trust that if they make a contribution now, other family members will do the same thing they are called upon to do so. A family member's understanding that they are furthering the common good makes it easier for them to make a contribution as opposed to compromising and giving up things.

Another facet of the common vision that supports the development and nurturance of soul, family businesses, and subsequently, the family point of view, is the concept of the B.O.S.S. The B.O.S.S. is an acronym developed by Sherod Miller (1994, 2005) for his work, Collaborative Team Skills, which is a communication and management of differences program that assists families in business create a dialog that allows their family point of view to emerge. I will discuss the B.O.S.S. concept in more detail later in this paper.

Basically, my interpretation of the B.O.S.S. concept is defined as follows:

The goal of the B.O.S.S. concept is to create win-win solutions that honor the family's common vision to help promote the emergence of a common family point of view.

Another aspect of the creation of the cohesive team that allows for emergence of the family point of view is a synonym for the O part of the B.O.S.S., which Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1997) refers to as psychic energy. He develops the concept of the Autotelic Personality, which he subsequently entitled flow. In his book, Finding Flow, Csikszentmihalyi investigates and develops an understanding about what gives people meaning in their lives. He indicates that there are three things that create meaning in people's lives - work, active leisure time and relationships. When he talks about relationships he refers to family relationships - regular families, not families or business or wealth which are much more at risk to the hazards of business and money. When Csikszentmihalyi talked about family relationships he was not talking about families or business of families of wealth. He was referring to typical families and the need to build their emotional equity. In families of business and wealth, there is a greater risk, I believe, due to the fact that business and financial differences often erode family relationships. What he had to say supports the notion of a reciprocal commitment to each other's success, which is the O part of the B.O.S.S. Csikszentmihalyi (1997) said that "A group of people is kept together by two kinds of energy - material energy provided by food, warmth, physical care, and money; and the psychic energy of people investing attention in each other's goals" (p. 110). Essentially, Csikszentmihalyi supports the notion that it is critical to invest in the emotional equity of the family by paying attention to each other's goals and investing what he terms psychic energy into the family. At the same time he says, "Now that the integrity of the family has become a matter of personal choice, it cannot survive except for the regular infusion of psychic energy" (p. 111). Finally, Csikszentmihalyi writes about the idea of a joint goal, or what I would call a common family vision, when he says "Only when there is harmony between the goals of the participants, when everyone is investing psychic energy into a joint goal does being together become enjoyable" (p. 113). Basically, psychic energy is just another way of understanding the reciprocal commitment to each other's success - when you put psychic energy into the development of relationships in family businesses, as well as the family as a whole, it promotes the common good, the emergence of the family point of view through the promotion and embodiment of the common family vision.

The third form of the promotion of the reciprocal commitment has to do with the concept of kything - a term discussed by Gail Straub (2000) in her book Rhythm of Compassion - is another synonym for psychic energy and the O part of the B.O.S.S. Kything is a Scottish word that means connecting at a spiritual level. Kything is not psychological, it is spiritual - to kyth is to present your soul to another. The idea is that kything happens through communion - the evolutionary step in making the communion conscious or purposeful.

In the Danz family, mentioned above, each member of the family has an individual vision so that each becomes a vision-driven person as opposed to problem-focused. The idea is to put your spiritual energy into the well being of another. M. Scott Peck in his book, The Road Less Traveled (1978) called this concept love. The idea is for each family member to realize the other are putting energy into their success. Each person recites, on a daily basis, their own individual vision for what they are committed to and for what they are trying to do in their lives - both in and out of the family business. In addition, each person kyths to the other members of the family that which they want.

In the Danz family example, described above, you can see the individual visions of the other members of the family who participated in the project. The dad kything to his wife, Violet; his son, Saul, his daughter-in-law, Joan, and his oldest son, Jon, that which they want. The idea is to kyth that which they want and as a member of the family, you know that the other members of the group are making a tremendous commitment to your success; they are putting psychic energy or kything or implementing the O part of the B.O.S.S., whichever you prefer, into success of the other.

The Common Family Vision is the embodiment of the soul of the family business, as well as the prayer for loving kindness, the individual vision and kything prepare the soil, the seeds or the dialog that takes place in family meetings to continue the garden metaphor, it is the preparation of the soil that allows the seeds - the spiritual seeds - the family's soul, to emerge in the concept of dialog and the formation of the family point of view.

For dialogue to emerge, I encourage family members to develop Collaborative Team Skills (Miller, 1994, 2005), which consists of four components: talking skills; listening skills; communication styles; and mapping an issue or problem-solving map. Families sometimes resist implementing these fundamental skills, but I suggest to them that even the New York Yankees go to spring training every year to brush up on the fundamentals. The talking and listening skills and communication styles are easily understandable and become a rich resource to the family in their ongoing dialog. This applies both to the family and the family business as they sort out the various issues. The benefit using the same Collaborative Team Skills is having the whole family be on an even playing field - all having the same model for communication and dialog, as well as the ground rules that will guide them to an effective discussion of the issues. The program is in a simple format that makes it easy to introduce to a family business.

The Collaborative Team Skills' application not only supports the development of effective dialog within the family business, but also supports the cross-cultural notions of Angeles Arrien (1993) in her work collected in The Four-Fold Way. The third of Arrien's concepts - the way of visionary - is to be able to speak your truth without judgment, criticism or blame. The idea is being able to talk about reality and being able to "say it is so." In her seminars on The Four-Fold Way™, Arrien discusses the three cross-cultural rules that allow families to avoid conflict. They include:

When it comes to saying it is so when it is so, Arrien operates on the "Rule of Three." The first rule is to say it within 24 hours, and if this is not possible, three days, and at the absolute maximum, no more than one week.

Basically, the Collaborative Team Skills allows families to have the kind of dialog necessary to create their family point of view. The purpose of Rule 3 is to not let issues linger - it is not unusual in the context of families and family businesses for family members to avoid talking about something because they are fearful that if they do, it will upset family relationships. In public presentations, I often refer to this dynamic as "Hubler's Speck of Dust Theory" - a famous theory taught in all of the business schools across the country. Unfortunately, no one has heard of the theory, but the rule operates where family members are reluctant to talk about a business or financial issue in their family business because if they do it will upset the family getting together for a holiday, e.g., Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. As a result, they create the very thing that they are trying to avoid - an unhappy family. Utilizing Rule 3 makes it possible for family members to discuss issues in a timely and current fashion.

The final aspect of the process is having regular or periodic family meetings to create a forum for dialog. Family meetings, in the context of family businesses, have many potential functions, but one of the main functions is to create a format so that family members can get together and have the kind of dialog that would allow for the emergence of the moral infrastructure and the ethical norms. The nurturance of the soul and the common vision, as well as the reciprocal commitment to each other's success creates an environment that allows the family to constructively dialog about the important aspects of the their lives and their sense of being. It is in the context of these discussions that the family point of view emerges and their unique family resources develop to create the leverage and business advantage that allows family businesses to be successful. It is their "secret sauce" - a unique set of spiritual principles that formulate the family's edge and give them their specialness that affects their performance in the marketplace. Family businesses that continue to develop their soulfulness and who are committed not only to the development of the emotional equity of the family, but of each other, can anticipate strong dialog and family resources that will abundantly positively affect their firm performance.

We can help you identify and foster the soul of your family business with our exclusive Vision for Success^tm and Wealth Care Management^sm. Contact us today by Email, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form.

References
Arrien, A. Four-Fold Way™ Program. Retrieved October 31, 2008 from http://www.angelesarrien.com/four-fol.htm

Arrien, A. (1993). The Four-Fold Way: Walking the paths of the warrior, teacher, healer and visionary. San Francisco: HarperOne.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1997). Finding Flow: The psychology of engagement within everyday life. New York: Basic Books, a divison of HarperCollins Publishers

Miller, S., Ph.D. (1994, 2005). Collaborative Team Skills (2nd ed.) USA: Interpersonal Communication Programs, Inc.

Peck, S.M. (1978). The Road Less Traveled. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Straub G. (2000) Rhythm of Compassion: Caring for Self, Connecting with Society. Boston: Tuttle Publishing

Whyte, D. (1994). The Heart Aroused. New York: Currency, a division of Bantum Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc.

]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:08 GMT <![CDATA[ Family Business Planning Overlooked Yet Vital to Continued Success]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/BusinessPlanning/FamilyBusinessPlanningOverlookedYetVitaltoContinuedSuccess.aspx

Confidently build for the next generation
Prepare, project and maintain the heritage
Fairly balance the interests and perspectives of everyone-employees, family employees and family members not in the business
Stimulate unencumbered business operations

FAMILY BUSINESS PLANNING INSIGHTS.

The only truly enduring competitive advantage is a trusted, principled company culture of committed people aligned to a common family vision. Each family is unique and every business works differently. But competitors cannot copy the spirit and interactions of your people.

We also have access to many professionals who can provide insight into these family business planning topics:

Strategic planning
Strategic alignment
Marketing plan
Objective performance metrics
Family and business unity
Unique Selling Position
Branding and key messages
Team building
Formal business plan
Owner agreement on plan assumptions
Establishing a board of directors

Help ensure a more successful future for yourself and generations to come. We can help you with your family business planning with our exclusive Vision for Success^tm. Contact us today by Email, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:54:14 GMT <![CDATA[ Management & Leadership in a Family Run Business Don't Just Appear By Magic]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/BusinessPlanning/ManagementandLeadershipinaFamilyRunBusinessDontJustAppearByMagic.aspx
Tom Hubler helps you develop leadership within your family run business and manage the transition.

You'll know how to answer complex personnel questions:

Who will be the leader, who is capable and how do we know?
When and how should leadership be passed to the next leader?
How do we develop leadership and reward merit?
How can former leaders play a productive, respected role?

MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT.

Hubler for Business Families offers training and advice in these areas:

Leadership assessment
Skill leveraging, career planning
Leadership selection and succession
Involvement of family members
Coaching/mentorships
Job descriptions
Performance appraisals
Compensation planning
Family compensation
Employee benefits
Rewards by merit
Evolving to professional management
Equitable treatment
Managing differences
Collaborative decision-making
Life career planning for former leaders
Retirement planning

Running any business requires a myriad of management skills. We can help you lead your family-run business more effectively with our exclusive Vision for Success^tm. Contact us today by Email, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:54:12 GMT <![CDATA[ Why Bother With Family Business Estate Planning?]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/BusinessPlanning/WhyBotherWithFamilyBusinessEstatePlanning.aspx

Unite the family, maintain a legacy and create success for all
Keep the family culture in a corporate business

FAMILY BUSINESS ESTATE PLANNING REQUIRES A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN; A CRASH PROGRAM WON'T WORK.

Since 1980, Hubler for Business Families has helped large and small family businesses find economic peace of mind.

Forge real answers to the five key areas of an ownership plan.

Determine if the next generation will be in the business
Create economic security for the senior generation
-Systematic ownership exit plan
-Best way to liquefy the asset
Devise equitable treatment among the children
Minimize estate taxes
Develop family awareness so that everyone is at peace with the plan

We can also refer you to experts in these financial and legal issues associated with family business estate planning:

Interim and long-term planning
Family ownership restructuring
Governance
Ownership transfer
Stock transfers
Distribution policy
Executive benefit consulting
Wealth preservation
Estate planning
Asset protection
Tax planning and minimization
Insurance and investment advice

The future will be here before you know it. We can help you with estate planning for your family business with Estate Planning and our exclusive Vision for Success^tm. Contact us today by Email, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:54:11 GMT <![CDATA[ Succession Planning is Your Family Business Your Future Depends on it]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/BusinessPlanning/SuccessionPlanningisYourFamilyBusinessYourFutureDependsonit.aspx
EMBRACE THE FUTURE OF YOUR FAMILY BUSINESS.

Tom Hubler discusses
Succession Management

We won't sugar coat the issues of family business succession planning. But our experience, understanding and comprehensive array of resources allow us to solve your problems sensitively and thoroughly.

We're adept at overcoming the most significant roadblocks to family business succession planning:

Tackle the unspoken issues
Create individual and organizational strategies
Develop unencumbered business operations
Nurture positive family relationships
Preserve and grow wealth

Thinking about tomorrow today can help your family business thrive from one generation to the next. We can help with your family business succession planning with our exclusive Vision for Success^tm. Contact us today by Email, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:54:09 GMT <![CDATA[ Do Family and Business Meet or Collide?]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/ManagementandLeadership/DoFamilyandBusinessMeetorCollide.aspx Family Management Business Model

These intersecting circles help explain the vast majority of family business problems. The way we see it, the overlap between family and business is an organizational problem, but people within the family business experience it as an interpersonal issue. That's why family members commonly blame each other for the situation. The senior generation sometimes blames the younger generation. And vice versa.

You then have to ask: "what causes the family business problem and what's getting in the way?" It's difficult to find the answer without the expertise and insight of outside advisors. We can help to resolve family disputes and avoid family litigation.

ACHIEVING A BETTER BALANCE BETWEEN FAMILY AND BUSINESS.

To solve family business problems, the Hubler for Business Families approach is to simultaneously work on both the family and business sides of the equation to create a better sense of balance.

Family - develop Family Plan, outlining how to be a family without undue influence of the business.
Business - develop: Ownership, Management and Leadership Plans, insuring the continued success of the business, secure financial relationships, profitability and, believe it or not, positive family relationships.

When family business problems threaten to undermine family relationships, we've got proven solutions that work to minimize stress while enhancing communication and understanding. To see how we can help your family and your business work together and separately with our exclusive Vision for Success^tm. Contact us today by Email, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:50 GMT <![CDATA[ When the Business of Your Family is Business]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/ManagementandLeadership/WhentheBusinessofYourFamilyisBusiness.aspx
Still, the business and the family differ greatly when it comes to participation, values and change. Unlike family systems, in business:

Participation is based on interest; it is voluntary
Competence and productivity are the most valued qualities
Change is a must for success

HOW WOULD YOU DIAGRAM YOUR FAMILY AND BUSINESS?
Family Business Management Model

Family and business overlap is unavoidable. Some overlap between family and business is healthy. But how much? And how can the systems be brought into balance?

Our first and only job is providing family business services to families like yours. We can help with our exclusive Vision for Success^tm. Contact us today by Email, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:49 GMT <![CDATA[ Is it a Family-Run Business or Vice-Versa?]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/ManagementandLeadership/IsitaFamilyRunBusinessorViceVersa.aspx
Your values and culture often become the corporate culture of your family business in a very positive way. Quality, service and community involvement are very easily traced to family values and culture.

Family systems encourage:

Participation
Values
Balance in relationships

WHAT'S THE GOAL?

To create a common family vision and develop a family plan for your family-run business. This vision and plan glue everything together.

Hubler for Business Families can help the family-run business:

Unite the family behind a primary purpose
Inspire teamwork and individual support for the common good
Devise a measuring stick to evaluate family and individual behaviors
Inform family members of their own development
Establish a model for change, even transformation.

Make running the family-run business an easier job for everyone - we can help with our exclusive Vision for Success^tm. Contact us today by Email, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:47 GMT <![CDATA[ Understanding Both Sides of Family Business Management]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/ManagementandLeadership/UnderstandingBothSidesofFamilyBusinessManagement.aspx Family Business Model

UNDERSTANDING THE NEED FOR BALANCE IN FAMILY BUSINESS MANAGEMENT.

What issues are you facing in your family business? Do they lie in the family circle, the business circle, or in the overlap? The answers may surprise you. An organizational problem in the business, for instance, may be mistaken for interpersonal problem in the overlap of family and business. We can help you identify and locate the real issues. Then, together, we can build a family business management plan to resolve them.

We can help you to improve your family business management today with our exclusive Vision for Success^tm. Contact us today by Email, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form.

]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:45 GMT <![CDATA[ Family Members Entering the Business Checklist]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/ManagementandLeadership/FamilyMembersEnteringtheBusinessChecklist.aspx
Here are three quick examples from my own experience.

Example one. The youngest of three brothers had just graduated from college. When he arrived for work he was told, "Take this 'SOB' division and do something with it." The kid had been handed a job description: "do something." Imagine the anxiety and confusion that caused.

Example two. A competitive father brought his son into the business without clearly defining required performance. With no direction, the son floundered and soon left the company. Even highly successful companies are not immune to these problems. Not long ago, Robert Murdock's son left their legendary business in a huff.

Example three. Three brothers owned a construction company. Each had high aspirations for his son (daughters were automatically excluded because of their gender). Each brought his son into the business in different ways. In a further complication, each son had a different education background.

Each brother was so enthusiastic about his own son that he overlooked his son's mistakes and training errors. Everything was ambiguous: performance standards, roles, responsibilities, mentoring approach, criteria for selecting leaders. This created problems among the brothers as they became defensive about feedback on their son's poor performance. It also produced problems between the uncles and nephews. In spite of their talents and successes, the brothers had not prepared a plan for family participation. Formal guidelines are critical when family members enter the business.

Here is my tried-and-true checklist developed over the years.

Employment eligibility - Who can be employed? What about spouses?
Entry - What is the criteria for joining the company? Education? Work outside the company? Promotions?
Summer employment - What are the expectations for summer employment? Compensation standards? Protocol and behavior standards?
Intern program - Will the company offer intern programs to family members in college? What are the guidelines?
Fulltime employees - What are the expectations of fulltime employment (eligibility, entry and compensation, career and leadership planning)?
Career planning - Will career planning be offered to family members in the company as well as family members not active in the company? (I recommend that all family members, even those not active in the company, receive the opportunity for career planning. This offsets the advantage of family members who work in the company.) What is the plan to mentor, coach and select who in the next generation will be in leadership positions?
Poor performance and termination - What are the criteria for family behavior in the company. What is cause for termination?
Conduct and protocol - Family members often establish guidelines for conduct expected of all family, i.e., work harder and be role models. (Is this a good thing? Seems it would be better stated as a question like the others, but I'm confused by its purpose since "family behavior" is in the "poor performance and termination" bullet, and thus feels a bit redundant. Perhaps combine these two bullets?)
Non-family managers - What is expected of non-family managers. What are the limits of their authority and accountability? (I usually recommend an employment agreement that gives non-family managers the security they need to effectively train and manage "the boss's" children.)
Compensation - Is the father out of the equation? (I suggest using an outside board member to recommend a salary, incentives and bonuses for all family members working in the company.)

Family businesses that invest the time to develop these guidelines can avoid problems and be more successful as both a business and a family. Research shows that it directly improves the bottom line.

What is your plan to support family participation and better profits? If it isn't written down - and in detail - it doesn't exist.

We can help you write your plan with our exclusive Vision for Success^tm. Contact us today by Email, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:16 GMT <![CDATA[ Last Challenge of Entrepreneurship]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/ManagementandLeadership/LastChallengeofEntrepreneurship.aspx
Service and philanthropy arise from happiness, gratitude and compassion. But the greatest significance is not the entrepreneur's act of giving, but in leading the family to embracing it. The entrepreneur creates a philanthropic spirit by establishing regular family meetings where everyone can discuss and evaluate whether or not the family shares the same values about money and wealth. This is where happiness, gratitude and compassion come in.

What creates happiness? In his outstanding book, Finding Flow, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi sees three things that create flow or fulfillment in people's lives: work, active leisure time and relationships. Entrepreneurs certainly recognize how work can help produce a happy life. But, for full happiness we need to manifest our calling or spiritual gifts - the person we are, the passions we carry.

Parker Palmer speaks to this same topic in his book, Let Your Life Speak. Palmer writes, "Our deepest calling is to grow into our own authentic selfhood..." To me that means discovering your spiritual gifts. Your gift to the future is to also help your children recognize and "live" their spiritual gifts.

Gratitude is a special gift that stimulates philanthropy. In fact, philanthropy is the antidote to consumption and the thousands of advertisements to buy and consume that experts say our children receive every day. Having regular family meetings focused on philanthropy and getting each member of the family involved at an appropriate age is critical to the development of gratitude.

In my own family, when my oldest granddaughter, Kailey, was in first grade and six years old, I gave her a "share" check. I told her, "Many kids don't have money to buy books, pencils that they need for school." I said that she could give that check as a present to her school or church.

Kailey immediately asked, "Does this check take the place of my Christmas presents?" "No," I said, "You will always receive your Christmas presents, but from now on, you would also receive a share check."

Fast forward to second grade. Kailey called me and said, "Grandpa, I need some money." "What for, I asked?" "I'm in the Heart Association Jump-a-thon and would like some money." "How much do you need?" "I don't know," said Kailey. I responded, "Will ten dollars do?" "That's great grandpa; now I have a hundred dollars."

My granddaughter is already philanthropic, developing positive money memories, and most importantly, gaining a sense of gratitude for her blessings.

Service is "experiential philanthropy." "Service is on the outside like prayer is on the inside," writes T. Michael Thompson in his book, The Congruent Life. Many families that we work with involve their children at an early age in service projects. One family helps deliver Thanksgiving Meals on Wheels. Another family hosts a picnic and 4th of July fireworks celebration for a local children's home. The parents and their four adult children, spouses, six grandchildren and many of their friends join in serving at these wonderful events.

The parents who organize the events are role models who walk their talk. They are living examples for their children and grandchildren. They are living their legacy.

In Success that Lasts, Laura Nash tells us not to wait until we are 65 years old to start thinking about our legacy. In my experience, life creates legacy. As you reach the point in your career where the "last challenge" goes on your to-do list, I trust you will find it one of the most exciting parts of your "work" as you harvest the blessing of your life and plant seeds of future success for your family and business.

We can help determine your service and philanthropy goals with our exclusive Vision for Success^tm. Contact us today by Email, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:11 GMT <![CDATA[ Changing the Generations in a Family Owned Business]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/ManagementandLeadership/ChangingtheGenerationsinaFamilyOwnedBusiness.aspx Ten ideas to successfully prepare for a changing of the guard.
"The kids are taking over the company." That thought can strike fear in the hearts of non-family managers and family members alike. It is definite, yet filled with ambiguity; stimulating and intimidating at the same time. Here is my list of ten important things younger generation adult children can do to smooth their transition into leadership in the family-owned business so that everyone involved feels positive and vital.

Regularly express your appreciation to Father and Mother for the opportunity they created for you. Your expressed thanks are essential for a successful family business relationship. Parents in their sixties and seventies seek validation for their business accomplishments. When appreciation is not expressed, parents often feel that the children are ungrateful.
Nurture a reciprocal commitment to each other's success. This is important between parent and child as well with siblings. Without this expressed, demonstrated mutuality, enormous tension can arise. With this commitment the family works as a team in their business.
Establish agreed-upon ground rules for how you will become part of the business. Use business sources and your parent's experience to establish how you will enter, train, be accountable, develop leadership, use mentoring, be compensated and work with siblings, generations and non-family managers. Pre-defined ground rules help prevent arguments and can save enormous amounts of time. The younger generation should take initiative to work with their parents and see that these rules are defined.
Formalize all agreements to prevent further misunderstandings. Hearing this, many family members will say, "We don't need to do that because we all love and trust each other." That's exactly why you need to do it. Love and trust is no guard against misunderstanding. I have found that the family-owned business that formalizes their ground rules, creates shareholder agreements and develops family participation plans tends to be more successful with less hurt feelings.
Define and adopt a Common Family Vision. This is a written understanding created out of the family's values on what you, your siblings, parents and all family members want to see perpetuated in the company and that unites your family. It envisions what you are and aspire to as a family.
As part of your family vision, strive for good communication and ways to manage differences. In any family, differences are normal, but many business families shy from discussing them because they fear it will create family disunity. I often hear clients say "We don't want to upset our family relationship. We don't want to ruin family celebrations, holidays, or events." Unfortunately, the reverse comes true: not talking about issues produces the family disunity you are trying to avoid. Regularly discuss and manage differences before they grow into problems.
Be willing to lead in organizing family meetings. Family-owned business meetings can be: 1) shareholder meetings where only shareholders attend; 2) employee meetings where only company-employed family members attend; and 3) family meetings where the entire family is invited to attend. Use this third place to work out the overlap between family and business and how it is managed (see diagram below).
Actively help to formalize plans necessary for success. While the senior generation is responsible for many of these plans, the younger generation helps by being actively involved. There are many different plans to formulate. First, develop a strategic business plan that draws out what is often only in the entrepreneur's head. Get those insights on paper. Second, when the time is right, have the family develop an ownership and estate plan and a management and leadership plan. Third, create a plan for how to be a family beyond the business. In my experience, business and financial differences will erode family relationships unless the family knows how to come together to preserve those relationships.
Build the emotional equity of your family as vigorously as you build the business equity. You read stories about couples who divorce yet keep their business relationships or siblings who squabble over business issues that ruin their family ties. To build emotional equity, celebrate and maintain family celebrations and traditions. These precious moments and events are the glue that holds a people together as a family and not just as a business.
Have fun with each other out of the office. Enjoy work and play. Meet for lunch or breakfast a few times each month. Share dinner occasionally. I have clients where the father and sons and a father and daughter get away at least once a year to golf, ski, or go to the theater. Time spent together enjoying each other away from the business builds emotional equity.

You can't accomplish this list in a few months, but you can select priorities to encourage and involve others in your family. Follow through on these ten ideas and I confidently guarantee smooth sailing when it's time for you to take the reins of your family business.

We can help your family owned business adapt to changing generations we can help with our exclusive Vision for Success^tm. Contact us today by Email, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:09 GMT <![CDATA[ Through Family Philanthropy and Service Wealth Enriches Your Life]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/OwnershipPlanning/ThroughFamilyPhilanthropyandServiceWealthEnrichesYourLife.aspx
DOES YOUR LEGACY INCLUDE FAMILY PHILANTHROPY?

If you want succeeding generations to continue your family values with acts of volunteerism, stewardship, humanity and charity, we can help you lay out your notions into an actionable plan. With our help, many families have created opportunities to use their financial resources as an extension of their values. We can help you find the best ways to express your values and translate them into family philanthropy.

If after years of good fortune you've decided it's time to give something back, we can help with our exclusive Wealth Care Management^sm. Contact us today by Email, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:54:07 GMT <![CDATA[ The Successful Family Business is Both a Successful Family and a Successful Business]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/OwnershipPlanning/TheSuccessfulFamilyBusinessisBothaSuccessfulFamilyandaSuccessfulBusiness.aspx

How can I keep normal business and financial differences from eroding family relationships?
At the same time, how can I keep family issues and family politics out of my business?

If you can't answer those questions, success for your family business is in jeopardy. Fortunately, it's simple to find the answers; they lie in your business's succession plan.

ARRIVING AT A PLAN CLARIFIES ROLES AND REMOVES OBSTACLES.

That's the good news. It's also the challenge. That's because it's not just the plan that assures success for your family business; the process that you and your family follow to arrive at the plan is very important. Successfully guiding families up the boulder-strewn path of succession planning is an acknowledged strength of Hubler for Business Families.

At Hubler for Business Families, we gauge our success on your success. We can help to create and sustain a successful family business with our exclusive Vision for Success^tm. Contact us today by Email, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:54:06 GMT <![CDATA[ Heritage is the DNA of Your Family Business]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/OwnershipPlanning/HeritageistheDNAofYourFamilyBusiness.aspx
UNWRAPPING THE HERITAGE OF YOUR FAMILY BUSINESS.

Understanding and articulating the heritage of your family business goes a long way toward mapping out your values and vision for the future. It helps identify how you'd like to see those vital traits of your business perpetuated by the generations that follow. Exploring heritage is an important part of the work we do with family businesses. It is one of the enjoyable products of the union of family and business.

You have every right to be proud of the business you and your family have built over the years. We can help you recognize the heritage of your family business with our exclusive Wealth Care Management^sm and Vision for Success^tm. Contact us today by Email, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:54:04 GMT <![CDATA[ Where Does Your Family Stand]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/OwnershipPlanning/WhereDoesYourFamilyStand.aspx
FAMILY VALUES RAISE YOUR BUSINESS TO SOMETHING GREATER THAN AN IMPERSONAL PROFIT-DRIVEN ENTERPRISE.

Have you ever asked yourself, "Has my life meant something; have I made a difference?" You begin to learn the answer when you discover that your family values are a part of your family business. Do you feel like you're appreciated for what you do? Again, part of your answer rests in the values you infuse into your business.

How do you preserve and transmit what's working as a business family? We can help.

True success always demands placing a premium on integrity and character. We can help you preserve family values in your family business with our exclusive Vision for Success^tm. Contact us today by Email, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:54:02 GMT <![CDATA[ Family Wealth Management]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/OwnershipPlanning/FamilyWealthManagement.aspx
EXPERTS REQUIRED FOR BOTH SIDES OF WEALTH MANAGEMENT.

We can help you with the delicate emotional side of wealth management. With our clients, we help develop family standards and expectations for wealth. We assist them in putting their wealth values into words. Finally, we help family business members gain a common vision of how wealth can be an extension of family values.

Wealth is a difficult subject to broach, especially among the wealthy. Airing the emotional side of wealth management is an important step in helping family members to come to terms with the emotions and responsibilities that accompany wealth.

Making money is always the hardest part. Learning how to manage it is easy. We can help you with wealth management and the family business with our exclusive Wealth Care Management^sm. Contact us today by Email, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:54:01 GMT <![CDATA[ Attuned to the Importance of Wealth Preservation]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/OwnershipPlanning/AttunedtotheImportanceofWealthPreservation.aspx
If you're in the senior generation in a family-owned business, health concerns, family harmony and economic security are top concerns. Because the business is often your primary asset, wealth preservation is crucial. We can help you achieve it through an ownership transition plan designed to guarantee economic security. Wealth preservation plans take into account the multiple opportunities to save the owner/entrepreneur tax dollars.

HUBLER FOR BUSINESS FAMILIES AND WEALTH PRESERVATION.

We can help you create a transition plan that relieves your concerns. Money is one of the three most difficult topics of discussion. The emotional conflicts money creates for families and family-owned businesses are well documented. Professional financial strategies combined with thoughtful family discussions, can prevent your family relationships from eroding due to money.

WEALTH PRESERVATION AND WEALTH PREPARATION PLANNING: TOOLS FOR PROTECTING ASSETS AND RELATIONSHIPS.

Many family businesses prepare for the future through wealth preservation, a tool consisting of wills, tax preparation, trusts, and investments. Specialists in these areas work in concert with you, your family members and your advisors to successfully protect your assets.

Just as important as wealth preservation is Wealth Preparation Planning. Its purpose is to prepare family members for the responsibility and emotional impact of wealth.

A two-part process, Wealth Preparation Planning begins with an examination of family heritage.

History and ancestry
Visions and values
Family stories, traditions and wealth values.

The second part of Wealth Preparation Planning explores and identifies:

Values
Self loving
Caring
Life meaning
Generativity
Fulfillment
Sense of purpose

INTRODUCING WEALTH CARE MANAGEMENT^sm

Wealth Care Management^sm is our proprietary approach to joining the financial considerations of Wealth Preservation Planning with the emotional considerations of Wealth Preparation Planning. Wealth Care Management is the greatest assurance that can be taken for preserving wealth through succeeding generations.

You've worked too hard to let the family fortune slip through your fingers. We can help you with wealth preservation for today and generations to come with our exclusive Wealth Care Management^sm. Contact us today by Email, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:59 GMT <![CDATA[ The Richness of Your Family Legacy Articulated and Preserved]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/OwnershipPlanning/TheRichnessofYourFamilyLegacyArticulatedandPreserved.aspx
GETTING IN TOUCH WITH WHAT YOUR FAMILY BUSINESS IS ALL ABOUT.

Tom Hubler talks about Family Legacy

Understanding your family legacy goes a long way toward explaining what makes your family business tick. Your positive family values become a part of the corporate culture of your family business. At the same time, the competencies and savvy that come with operating a successful business make a positive impact on the family.

What are your family values? We can help with this critical step. By voicing your family legacy, you are providing the formula for success to those who follow you.

Our primary mission is to help families tear down the barriers that stand between them and running a successful business. We can help build your family legacy with our exclusive Vision for Success^tm and Wealth Care Management^sm. Contact us today by Email, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:57 GMT <![CDATA[ Fine Tuning Your Legacy]]> http://www.hublerfamilybusiness.com/OwnershipPlanning/FineTuningYourLegacy.aspx
Laura Nash, in her Harvard Business Review article, "Success That Lasts," defined legacy as "a way to establish your values or accomplishments so as to help others find future success." Nash observes that we should not wait until we are 65 years old to start thinking about legacy; we should distribute our emotional and physical resources (including happiness achievement and significance, as well as legacy) throughout life.

A recent Allianz American Legacies Study noted that baby boomers and their children agree that non-financial items - family stories, family heritage, family values and religion - are ten times more important than the financial aspects of inheritance. Yet, the study revealed that less than a third of baby boomers and their adult children are having in-depth, meaningful discussions about legacy and inheritance.

I would suggest that legacy is both financial and non-financial. I have come to look at legacy as your gift to the future to help others find their own success. This legacy model contains five interrelated aspects:

Wealth Care - money and property
Business Legacy - succession plan
Heritage - history and ancestry
Family/Self - loving and caring
Community - services and philanthropy.

Fine-tuning a legacy requires implementing all five aspects of the model.
For this article of The Last Challenge series, I want to emphasize how important it is to capture stories that relate to family and history, and to consciously voice life and family values.

One example of this is a client that that always includes an agenda item in the annual meeting where the grandparents make a presentation to the whole family (including grandchildren) about some aspect of their early lives. Pictures and videos usually accompany the stories. Grandkids are on the edge of their seats, learning about grandpa and grandma's lives. Today's technology makes it relative easy to capture these wonderful stories that highlight family values and life experiences. The presentations are videotaped and a disc is made for each family member. This is a priceless gift to the future.

Another example is to create an ethical will. This old, Jewish tradition has senior generation family members share the critical values they want to pass on. Topics for an ethical will can include:

Success as I see it
Mistakes I learned from
My happiest hours
Why I love you
What spirituality means to me
Stories with deep personal meaning
People or events that have shaped my life
Familial obligation
Favorite scripture passages
Actions for which I would like to ask forgiveness

Select any or all from the list to share at future family meetings. Families enjoy wonderful, positive feelings when parents share their stories; stories nurture bonding and often produce a few tears and smiles when people come so closely together.

I know of truly ambitious individuals who have written their life stories. You can record your story in book form or create a video to share with the entire family. Many resources are available to help you capture these family memories. If you would like a referral just email me.

Over the years, I have created two videos about my life and have shared them with my family. The first one is about my work; the second is about values and stories from my past.

One of my greatest thrills in giving to the future was introducing my grandchildren to the arts. We frequently attend the Children's Theater and Minnesota Orchestra.

Another part of my legacy is helping to provide for a good education. I enroll each of my grandchildren in a book club on their first Christmas. Learning has always been a big part of my life and I want to make sure my grandkids learn to enjoy reading.

These examples emphasize the non-financial aspects of inheritance that, according to the Allianz Study, are the most important. As you fine tune your legacy take time to engage your family. Share some of the stories and meaningful events of your life. Share with them the events and people who have shaped your life. This could be your greatest - and most appreciated - gift to the future success of your family.

We can help fine tune your legacy with our exclusive Vision for Success^tm and Wealth Care Management^sm. Contact us today by Email, call us at 612.375.0640, or fill out our contact form. ]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:53:13 GMT



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