In this excellent article from Jamie Shah, the problem of wearing multiple hats in a family business is exposed and perhaps, solved.
She successfully relates being an Owner/Board Member/Employee to, and I am not kidding, the children's book Go Dog Go.
She posits that we family members are like the dog who is constantly switching hats. 'We show up to the same room, with the same face, wearing a completely different hat depending on who’s asking, and half the time, the person asking doesn’t even know there’s a hat.'
I can't get over the wisdom of her advice to ensure you are sharing company information at the right levels. But if I may, I would add one twist.
Do you remember that the dog that changed hats kept asking, 'do you like my hat?' I believe that for right now, myself and the three other family members in the business; are all wearing the correct hat. The question is, are we brave enough to keep asking, 'do you like my hat?'
I've seen too many family businesses with owners in the wrong seat, owners who shouldn't work there, owners who used to be good at their role but need to move to something else. I believe the highest-performing family businesses are those that are disciplined in ensuring the right people are in the right seats, no matter the ownership level. It's good for other employees, for business efficiency, and if done well, good for the personal growth of the owners. Business wisdom from Go Dog Go.
Perhaps Robert Fulghum was right when he said, 'all I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten.'