In our family business, we believe in making decisions together. Every important move must be agreed upon by all family members. This model creates fairness and shows respect to each person’s voice. It keeps us united and helps avoid major conflicts. But over time, I’ve started to see the other side of this system how it slows us down and sometimes holds us back. Reaching full consensus sounds good in theory, but in reality, it means long discussions, repeated meetings, and often, no action. One person’s doubt can stop a whole project. Even when the majority supports an idea, we often delay it to keep everyone comfortable. I’ve seen great opportunities disappear while we wait for agreement that never comes. This is frustrating for younger members who want to be more active and take bolder steps.
The problem is not that we talk too much it’s that we don’t know when to decide. We are so afraid of upsetting the family harmony that we sacrifice business growth. We trust each other, but we don’t trust one person to lead a decision. It’s a system where everyone leads, so no one really leads. Sometimes I wonder if unity should mean shared vision, not shared control. Maybe we need a clearer structure where different people lead different areas. That way, we can still work together without always waiting for full agreement. Total consensus feels safe, but safety has a cost and in a fast-moving world, that cost is time, innovation, and progress. Family harmony is important, but it shouldn’t come at the price of our company’s future.