Hello,
My name is Michael and I work at an accounting firm in Canada and I have a unique situation and I would like to see what you guys make of it.
Our accounting firm is a family business that has 3 generations of the family that work in the firm. Sometimes conversations become a little less professional (both fun and sometimes mean) but we do all want to create a professional environment.
When applying the One on One’s and other portions of the trinity – well, should I even bother when one of my directs is my wife and another my brother? Not joking.
I have found that in the rare instance when I do have to use role power with family there may be grudges (my wife can stay mad all day if she feels I didn’t value her opinion) – any advice from someone who’s been there or seen this?
By and large we’re pretty understanding, professional, and loving – but if there is anyway I can use the trinity and other recommendations with minimal growing pains when rolling it out in a family business (family is about 80% of the entire organization – we’re a small business) then I would be happy to know!
Thanks for your help!
Michael
Yep
You can use the Trinity fine with family. The fact that family makes it harder doesn't make the Trinity an ineffective technique. If you're going to work together, it's reasonable to expect professional behavior from one another. That takes the boss behaving professionally in his/her role as a manager, and that means stuff like the Trinity.
I've done it. It doesn't solve the problems that managing family members creates, but it makes them a LOT more tolerable.
Good luck!
Mark
Absolutely!
Been there, done that, laid-off my mother when systematic feedback didn't work. It made for an interesting Thanksgiving dinner.
I agree with Mark, I feel the Trinity is about the only way to work effectively with family in a small business.
I did change to the "peer feedback model". While my wife is officially a direct report, there is no way I can effectively separate her role as an employee vs. spouse. Using role-power is just not effective when dealing with my wife, brother, or father.
O3s are also critical for a different reason. It allows us to better separate work-life and personal-life. If my wife and I are out for dinner, and I'm ready to bring up a work question, I “try” to ask myself “Can this wait for the status meeting tomorrow, or our O3?” It doesn't always work, but it helps.
Good luck, and feel free to post specific questions.