Who must be present in a family business workshop?

If you look at the three-circle model of family business structure, it is easy to see who needs to be present at any family business intervention. A family business is not only a business. It includes family (operationally involved or not), the owners, and the managers or leaders of the firm.

If you exclude anyone from those three groups, you have a slim chance of getting the family to work together in unity. The three circles depict the complexity of a family business and why it must be run differently from an ordinary entrepreneurial venture.

A family business includes every member of the family whether operationally involved or not. Every member carries sweat capital or emotional capital, which creates expectations for reward or involvement.

If you are planning a workshop with a family business consultant, it is essential that all family members are present from the start of the intervention.