I think in business relations there are many barriers which we may need to deal with, especially with the business owners themselves.
If you've been hired as a business advisor It's comes very difficult to lead the change in any family business while one of the board members is always want to be the leader of everything and they interact negatively with any new ideas because it’s not serving his personal agenda.
And at the end of day you will choose to escape in professional way. Just so you do not lose your professional reputation. So, What do you think?
As a business owner myself, I can identify with what you've said, and yes, it is hard to bring new ideas from outside and an "outsider' coming into a family boardroom is a threat! Resistance is, I always think a good challenge. Whether it comes subtly veiled, or direct, most times from the family member's position, the outsider does not fully understand what has gone into the development of the business, and may not be around to test whatever recommendations are being offered.
My suggestion is, go in, and gain some trust and confidence, through sharing credentials as stories, establishing some common ground. Most of us have these scary adventures, in our daily lives that can be incorporated, to show how our resilience paid off. My own favourite , story I share when there is resistance, is how I bought my home, and the steps I took to ensure, no matter what the obstacle was, I would overcome it!
A family business, or even a small company, is run on a lot of emotion, so tap into your emotional intelligence, and see how you can win!
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