One table, led by plumbers, engineered an extremely elegant and stable structure, but it was only a foot tall. But Dashew's goals in this exercise went beyond the obvious. When you have trust and are secure in your roles, you need less communication. But if boundaries are blurred and descriptions are unclear, high levels of communication are needed. But she believes there's no one right answer.
Every family needs to create their own set of rules.
If you're not sure whether individuals should or should not be part of a decision, bring them in. When they participate in the decision, they'll more likely want to see it successfully implemented. This article originally appeared in Related Matters, the newsletter of the University of Massachusetts Family Business Center. If your address is incorrect or incomplete, we will NOT be able to process your request.