Leaders are made, not born

Has your family stopped connecting outside of work?

Is progress stalled (or stopped) inside the business?

Are non-family employees negatively impacted by your family conflict?

You can overcome the divisive behaviors that threaten your family business, your workplace culture, and your company’s bottom line. But it does take work.

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Connect with Lisa
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One-on-one Coaching - Meet privately in person or via Zoom for one hour at a mutually convenient time. You set the pace and the agenda.

Private/Team/Family Coaching - A mix of individual and team or family coaching sessions, as determined by your needs and timeline. Meet online anywhere, or in person in Greater Cincinnati, Ohio.

Energy Leadership Coaching™

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Coaching the “Big Six” Threats to Family Harmony

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    Everything is Fine. Really!

    Many well-intended families will suppress conflict in order to preserve harmony. But unresolved issues do not fade away, they compound. In time, conflict erupts, impacting far more than the feuding parties. Conflict management is an important skill for all leaders.

    Read About Conflict Management
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    Clarity, Communication & Control

    When owners aren’t clear about what they want, they struggle to communicate, which can be interpreted as withholding information to exert control. This creates a frustrating state of ambiguity. Clarity and communication build trust and demonstrate respect to everyone.

    Read About Clear Communication
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    The Stories We Tell Ourselves

    We believe we know our families so well that we assume to know their thoughts and feelings. We interpret their motivations based on a narrative we develop over our lifetimes. Often, we put ourselves center stage in their stories, never checking in on the truth as they see it.

    Read about Assumptions and Interpretations
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    Third-Party Foul

    Triangulation is a short-term fix that creates a long-term problem. It occurs when someone consistently intercedes on behalf of another, instead of encouraging the parties in conflict to work things out themselves. In family businesses, it contributes to jealousy, resentment, accusations of favoritism and scapegoating, while inhibiting growth in areas like decision making, problem solving and developing communication skills.

    The Consequences of Triangulation
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    Entitlement Over Entrepreneurship

    Founders are bootstrappers, often working long hours while the kids are young. Wanting to provide opportunity for their children, they will create jobs, or allow their children to leap frog into big titles with salaries that match, limiting opportunity for non-family employees. Lacking clearly defined employment policies is a mistake that damages workplace culture and creates leadership challenges for the incoming generation.

    Read About Entitlement and Culture
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    Little or No Accountability

    Not being accountable, or holding others accountable, occurs when we fear confrontation. Making excuses for people, dismissing bad behavior and blaming others for our unmet commitments is a common tactic for avoiding conflict that limits professional growth. In contrast, complete accountability empowers us, puts us in the driver’s seat, and transforms us into charismatic leaders who inspire the best from our teams.

    Accountability in Family Business

In coaching, clients define the success measures.

Here are some outcomes family businesses typically seek.

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  • Absolute clarity about what they want

  • Not stuck. Energized to move forward

  • New-found empathy; sees other points of view

  • Can handle difficult conversations, manage conflict and be/hold others accountable

  • Able to introduce new ideas while honoring what came before

Empowered to Lead

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Prepared for Partnership

  • Siblings can self-manage long-standing rivalries

  • Understand that fair is not always equal

  • Work cooperatively but independently across their areas of expertise

  • Clear expectations around authority, opportunity and compensation

  • Cultivating a shared sense of purpose

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Treating Others Like The Professionals They Are

  • Addressing long-term planning so others can have clarity and direction

  • Sharing authority, and communicating the parameters of new authority

  • Respecting the decisions of those who have been empowered

  • Holding others accountable

  • Investing in leadership development

Building on Progress

Extending success for future generations

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Family Business Charters

Designed specifically for families in business together, a family charter documents the shared understanding between the owner/founder and family members who have ownership interests, are working in the business, as well as family members who are in neither of those groups.

While not legally binding, Family Charters clarify how important and sensitive issues will be handled, so difficult decisions around ownership and governance can be made without the influence of complicating emotions or the personalities at play. Family values and the enterprise mission are documented, paving a long-term vision for the legacy the family business will have within the community and beyond.

Developing a Family Charter helps individuals with differing points of view learn to work together in the spirit of collaboration toward a greater good -- the health of the family and the business.

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Intra-Company Communication

Once you have mastered communicating as a family, we will turn our attention outward to your organization, establishing a rhythm for vision casting, information sharing, and inspiring your team to connect your company values to their personal and professional “why.”

We will identify internal champions and invest in their development so they can plant seeds of cultural growth within your organization.

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Family Business Roundtables

Goering Center Roundtables are created for family business leaders who seek balance across their work and family lives. Groups of 8-10 unrelated peers meet monthly for collaborative peer sharing about strategic and tactical business issues, within the larger context of personal and family business concerns. Successful candidates are seeking community, are open to learning from others, and they are willing and able to share their insights. Goering Center membership is required, providing access to educational programs in succession planning, strategic planning, leadership development, advisory boards, and culture.

Measurable and manageable. Progress you can see and feel.

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Energy Leadership Index Assessment: For individuals and teams

“Radically change your approach to work and life. The Energy Leadership™ Index (ELI) assessment is the proprietary, research-backed assessment tool that takes something abstract, like the way a person views the world, and turns it into something tangible—a metric that you can see and feel and even reevaluate in the future. It’s only available through an iPEC Certified Coach, and conclusively demonstrates your progress over the course of our coaching engagement.”

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