Intergenerational Conflict

April 13, 2006

	Visited: 702
	Not rated
	Rate:

Conflict between the founder of a family business and his or her successor is a matter of degree. It's normal for some intergenerational conflict to exist.

In the worst cases, a "sandwich generation" effect may be visited upon the middle layer in a family business.

A powerful founder's nominal successor is often responsible to and for the generations that precede and succeed him, especially in these days of longer life spans. By the time #1 son gets the throne, #1 grandson is already bucking for position. And Gramps may be more favorably inclined toward the grandchild since the little shaver (who by this time is already a man) is less of a threat to the founding father.

Founding fathers are more often that not conflicted about their successor sons. (It's too soon to know yet if this syndrome will carry over to daughters.) On one level Dad wants his son to succeed and make him proud and rich, but on another level he may see the son as a threat to his manhood and dominance.

The son who accepts the challenge of this ambiguity should be a well trained manager-of himself as well as others. He'll then be able to manage around the unbusinesslike emotional upheavals that can frequently be generated in power struggles. Leadership and communication skills will win the day if applied consistently. A true understanding of the feelings and motivations of the founder will enable the successor to deal rationally and effectively with them. After all, the founder spent his or her entire life building the firm and sees it as an extension of his or her self, which is only natural-even if it is a difficult act to follow.

The other side of the coin is, of course, the underprepared, disinterested or lazy successor-elect. Sometimes the founder is willing and eager to give the business to the offspring but the child would rather be a marine biologist. Or, the child is anxious to get her hands on the business so she can get a classy company car and play golf every day since she'll be the boss. Or perhaps the child is interested and willing but hopelessly unqualified for the task.

Between these extremes are the majority of family business successions. Able founders need to pass along a hard-earned creation to able successors who have worked hard to become prepared to take on the task. There will be the usual number of differences of opinion and approach commonly found between generations and between co-workers of the same generation. These can and will be worked out mutually over time to the benefit of the individuals, the family and the business. Planning and communication are the tools these successful teams must use consistently.