managing conflict in the family business

On a recent trip to Australia I met an entrepreneurial couple who talked about the annual cash flush they provide to their children. When digging deeper the conversation touched on topics of ‘how much is enough’ and ‘how to keep them responsible citizens in their communities despite the money’. In our advisory work we often get involved in such discussions. Conflicts in families mainly centre about two issues: power (who leads the family company) and money (who gets how much access to cash). Let’s focus on the money for now.