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Something Worth SharingThe Truth of How We See Things
Years ago, when I first started working with family businesses and advisors to family businesses, I created a tool called The Way They See It. This was something I’d created during my own challenges with fellow family board members at the time of putting together a ‘Management Buy Out’. Back in 2002 I’d been to a law firm to seek advice for how to proceed, and it was during this time I’d had to try and explain the complexities and issues involved in our family dynamics. Of course the first run through of this was very much from my own perspective - and how I saw things. In family businesses - as it is in life - there are many vested parties and therefore many ways of seeing something. I was 100% certain that my uncle would not see the situation in the way I did, for a whole host of reasons. The second meeting I worked hard to present how I believed he saw things - along with how various other key family members would. At the time I remember being asked ‘and which one is the right version?’ Well, the simple answer is ‘none of them'. Equally, none of them was wrong either; furthermore none of my family’s perspectives - or our employees’ and stakeholders’ were right or wrong. To get to the truth of a situation, we need to see things from everyone’s position, draw what we can from this and make decisions. There are multiple benefits to this: People feel seen and heard It prevents us rushing It ensures we don’t miss vital and key information It helps generate new ideas It creates a balanced approach It helps gain buy-in for decisions Assumptions can be avoided The truth begins to appear
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