Sounding Boards (CONT’D FROM PAGE 26)
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said Harms. Other times, the converse is true. “Council membership can be an extremely thankless job, and if people who pour a lot of time into it feel their work is not appreciated, you can quickly run out of volun- teers.” Take Action Now let’s return to the story that opened this article. A fifth-generation family business was facing the possibility that a required buy-back of a brother’s ownership shares might hamper future growth. What was the solution? The company called a meeting of its family council, whose members decided to arrange for a new five-year note to fund the buyout, relieving the need to raid the company treasury. “We were able to resolve the issue in a very collabora- tive way as opposed to people hiding their feelings,” said Brownell. “This was a nice conclusion because everyone felt their opinions were valued, and that their colleagues were in the business for more than just themselves.” As this story suggests, family councils can help ensure the long-term success of an enterprise. If the benefits are obvious, the urgency is often unappreciated. “The most common mistake is inertia,” said Brownell. “Change is hard, and it can be difficult to have the kind of conversa- tions that lead to the formation of a council.” Too, the very dynamics of a family council can seem counter-intuitive to managers who grew up in the top- down, hierarchical nature of traditional business oper- ations. “The most common challenge is marshaling the patience for a messy, non-linear management approach,” said Dartt. For the same reason, there can also be a temptation to under-utilize the council once it is formed. Too often, com- panies go back to business as usual, canceling scheduled meetings, and letting things fester. That very reversion to seat-of-the pants decision-mak- ing, of course, invites the very misunderstandings and re- sentments that a council was founded to obviate. The good news is that an effective council need not disrupt daily operations. “Even if a council meets just once or twice a year for three or four hours, there’s a lot of communication that can be done in that time frame to avoid conflict down the road,” said Eckrich. “The family council can be a critical tool for spotting problems before they develop. I know managing
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a successful one is a challenge, but the payoff is pretty good for the folks who do it.” Phillip Perry is an award-win- ning freelance writer and a regular contributor to Board Converting News. His byline has appeared over 3,000 times in the nation's business press. Reach him at linke- din.com/in/phillipmperry/.
Phillip Perry
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July 7, 2025
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