This practical and important book offers ideas, examples, and suggestions that address the challenges inherent to developing and sustaining a successful family business. It explores the complex dynamics involved in working with loved ones and how to pass a business on to a new generation.

Structured around the story of a family that has built a successful enterprise, now facing the issues of succession, the book utilizes the solution-focused model to provide step-by-step instructions to creating good working relationships and orienting toward common goals while building trust, respect, and love.

Complete with summaries, toolkits, and case studies, this book is an essential read for any member of a family business, as well as those who provide services to family businesses, including coaches, consultants, and non-family employees.

About the Author

Louis Cauffman is a business economist and clinical psychologist with a wide range of therapeutic training, ranging from Systemic Family Therapy to Ericksonian Hypnotherapy through all possible directions within the solution-oriented approach.

Reviews

The title exactly reveals what this book is about. Many books have been written about how to develop a family business, how to sustain it, and how to be successful. This book is different. It is the first book ever to thoroughly apply the solution-focused approach to the field of a family and its business. Cauffman pours his more than 25 years of experience into a format that is didactic, informative and highly readable. The storyline of the John & Annie family runs from the inception of the business to the arrival of the third generation. In between, the reader is effortlessly provided with many tools; useful insights from the solution-focused approach and updated best practices for the protagonist, his family, non-family family managers and the company's strategy.

Prof. Mr. Jozef Lievens, lawyer and family business consultant, Managing Director of Belgian Family Business Institute, FFI Fellow.

This is a special book that is written not for a professional audience or a business family, but rather one that is designed for both. Advisors can use it to add the solution focused approach to their expertise, develop their own toolkit and work with families while families can use it to look ahead to anticipate and prepare for each developmental challenge that is destined to emerge. This is a special book that will help so many advisors and families to chart their future, and deal with the deep and special family bonds that lie at the core of their shared life project.

Dennis T. Jaffe, Ph.D., research associate at Wise Counsel Research

'The title exactly reveals what this book is about. Many books have been written about how to develop a family business, how to sustain it, and how to be successful. This book is different. It is the first book ever to thoroughly apply the solution-focused approach to the field of a family and its business. Cauffman pours his more than 25 years of experience into a format that is didactic, informative and highly readable. The storyline of the John and Annie family runs from the inception of the business to the arrival of the third generation. In between, the reader is effortlessly provided with many tools; useful insights from the solution-focused approach and updated best practices for the protagonist, his family, non-family family managers and the company's strategy.'

Prof. Mr. Jozef Lievens, lawyer and family business consultant, Managing Director of Belgian Family Business Institute, FFI Fellow

'This is a special book that is written not for a professional audience or a business family, but rather one that is designed for both. Advisors can use it to add the solution-focused approach to their expertise, develop their own toolkit and work with families, while families can use it to look ahead to anticipate and prepare for each developmental challenge that is destined to emerge. This is a special book that will help so many advisors and families to chart their future, and deal with the deep and special family bonds that lie at the core of their shared life project.'

Dennis T. Jaffe, Ph.D., research associate at Wise Counsel Research

Book Information
ISBN 9781032046785
Author Louis Cauffman
Format Hardback
Page Count 208
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 453g