The Trap of Informal Culture

In the early days of our company, we didn’t need written rules. Everything was simple: trust, hard work, and family connection guided us. We knew each other so well that things just worked. Decisions were fast, roles were clear, and communication was natural. But now that the company has grown and more family members are involved that informal system is not enough anymore.Today, there are more people, more responsibilities, and more confusion. Sometimes two people think they are in charge of the same task. Other times, no one takes action because they think someone else will do it. Newer family members don’t always understand the “unwritten rules,” and this creates misunderstandings. What used to feel like a warm family space now feels like a messy office with invisible walls. Still, we hesitate to formalize things. We worry that written job descriptions or structured meetings will make us less close. We don’t want to feel like a cold, corporate company. But without structure, we lose both efficiency and clarity. The tension between staying “family-like” and becoming “professional” is something we face every day. I believe we can keep our values and relationships strong while also becoming more organized. Formal systems don’t have to erase trust they can support it. It’s about growing up as a business without losing who we are as a family. But if we stay informal forever, we risk becoming stuck in the past, unable to handle the present or plan for the future.