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.

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.

In our family business, we often look at the same company but see very different things. The older generation sees a story of hard work, survival, and legacy. For them, the business is a symbol of what they built over the years something stable and respectable. The younger generation, on the other hand, sees potential, speed, and the need for change. They want to grow, take risks, and modernize. Both sides care deeply about the business, but we frame our thinking based on different life experiences and roles. This gap in perspective becomes clear in meetings. One person focuses on improving product quality, another wants to expand internationally, and someone else brings up unresolved family issues. All of these views are valid, but they don’t always connect. It often feels like we are solving five different puzzles on one table, using pieces from different boxes. Instead of moving forward together, we end up stuck in discussions that go in circles. This difference is not just about age it’s also about mindset. Some of us see the business as an extension of the family. Others see it as a professional organization that needs to compete and evolve. The real challenge is learning how to bring all these views into one shared vision. I believe we need to listen more deeply not just to respond, but to understand. If we continue to act on different views without alignment, we risk pulling the business in opposite directions. But if we learn to see the bigger picture together, we can use our different strengths to move forward as one.

n our business, the founding generation is still very involved even though they say they want to step back. They attend key meetings, approve final decisions, and give strong opinions on strategy. Their experience is valuable, but it leaves little room for younger leaders to fully grow into their roles. This is not just about control it’s about identity. For the older generation, the company is part of who they are. Letting go is emotional. For the younger generation, this creates a strange kind of leadership. We are expected to act like leaders, but we know we don’t have the final say. We try to show initiative, but often wait for approval. This overlap creates confusion for employees too they don’t always know who to follow. Performance suffers because responsibility is shared, but not clearly divided. We talk about transition, but without action, it becomes a story we repeat instead of a process we follow. Letting go doesn’t mean walking away it means trusting others to lead. It means allowing mistakes, offering guidance when asked, and stepping back when needed. We need to redesign our leadership structure with clear roles and real authority for new leaders. If we don’t, we’ll stay in a cycle of half-transitions and missed opportunities. Leadership is not something you hold forever. It’s something you pass on when the time is right and that time has to be chosen, not just waited for.

In our family business, emotions are always in the room even when we try to pretend otherwise. Meetings are never just about numbers or plans. They are shaped by years of history, relationships, respect, and sometimes disappointment. When a suggestion is rejected, it doesn’t feel like a business decision it feels personal. When someone is not invited to a meeting, it’s not just a scheduling issue it becomes a family story. We care deeply about each other, and that’s our strength. But that same care can also become a barrier. Sometimes we avoid difficult conversations because we’re afraid to hurt someone’s feelings. We hold back feedback to “keep the peace.” We choose comfort over clarity. As a result, important decisions are delayed, and problems stay under the surface. Emotional safety becomes more important than professional performance. This emotional dynamic affects our company’s health. A business needs honesty and openness to grow, but emotions make that difficult. We’re not always able to separate roles from relationships. Sometimes I wonder: are we protecting each other or are we protecting ourselves from change? To move forward, we need to accept that emotions are part of the business. We shouldn’t try to hide them, but we also can’t let them control every choice. Creating shared rules, holding structured discussions, and allowing space for disagreement may feel cold at first but they help the business stay strong, and the family stay healthy.

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.

Succession is one of the most sensitive topics in our family business. Everyone agrees that the next generation should take over one day, but no one really says when or how. The older generation stays in control not because they don’t trust us, but because they feel responsible. At the same time, the younger generation is waiting. We are ready to lead, but we don’t want to push too hard. Out of respect, we stay quiet, hoping the transition will come naturally. But the truth is, it rarely does. Without a clear timeline or structure, we keep repeating the same discussions with no result. Leadership becomes a grey area. The older generation says they are stepping back, but they still make most of the final decisions. Younger members make suggestions, but we wait for approval. It feels like we are in a holding pattern flying in circles instead of moving forward. This also affects daily business. We avoid long-term plans because we don’t know who will be in charge tomorrow. We stay conservative, not because of market risk, but because of leadership uncertainty. This limits our ability to grow or innovate. Succession should be a process, not just an idea. It needs planning, timelines, and honest conversations. Emotions are part of it, of course, but they should not stop us from creating a clear path. If we don’t make room for the next generation, the company will one day find itself without leaders or worse, with leaders who were never truly prepared. Respect should not stop progress. It should guide it.