The New York Times published an article on June 23 by Bill Vlasic titled “Family Loyalty Anchors Ford in Risky Times”. The article discussed some of the challenging times that the Ford family business has faced, along with other auto makers, especially in recent years and months. Last time I wrote about the regular family […]
Ford Family Business Conflicts — Part I
The New York Times published an article on June 23 by Bill Vlasic titled “Family Loyalty Anchors Ford in Risky Times”. The article discussed some of the challenging times that the Ford family business has faced, along with other auto makers, especially in recent years and months. As the piece noted, tough times have “led […]
CBIA and UConn Family Business Program Conference – Part II
The keynote speaker at last week’s Connecticut Business and Industry Association and UConn Family Business Program Conference was Stew Leonard, Jr. He discussed the challenges and joys of the family business, which had grown from milk trucks delivering door to door all the way to busy supermarkets in several locations. He talked about the G-1 […]
CBIA and UConn Family Business Program Conference – Part I
Last week, the Connecticut Business and Industry Association and the University of Connecticut Family Business Program presented their Family Business Conference. Various panelists discussed a number of issues that family businesses face — or at least that they should face and not ignore or gloss over. Some, of course, are important for any closely held […]
‘Tis the season — Part II
Last time I talked about the great benefit to a family that comes from creating a communications plan before one is needed and how having family together over the holidays can provide an opportunity to create that plan. Sometimes being together over the holidays and seeing everyone face to face provides unmistakable proof that some […]
‘Tis the season — Part I
“…’Tis the season to be jolly….” It’s no secret that the holidays can be a stressful time for families. Old wounds can be reopened, old grudges renewed, buried emotions reignited. People who are rarely see each other may be together for days on end. But the holidays also present an opportunity for families. Sometimes a […]
Conflicting views on conflict in an organziation
Dale Dauten’s The Corporate Curmudgeon column in the November 19, 2007 Hartford Business Journal was titled “Fomenting Mutual Respect.” In it he quotes a study that found that executives felt that some 18% of management time was wasted resolving staff personality conflicts. He went on to discuss the completely divergent reactions of two management pros: […]
Not part of the plan
An article in Forbes magazine, July 23, 2007, by Alex Davidson talks about the trials of a married couple who owned and ran a business together. “Food Fight” tells the story of Lorene Reed and Larry Bearg, who bought Planet Organics, a produce delivery service, in 1997. As the article sums it up: “The business […]
“Act as the owners we are”
“Act as the owners we are” are the words of Elisabeth Goth Chelberg, a Bancroft family member. In an article by Joe Nocera in the New York Times, “How the Bancrofts Blew It”, published just after the deal with Rupert Murdoch was approved by a divided Bancroft family, Ms. Chelberg talked about her attempts ten […]
Not just the Bancrofts
Right now, the news reports say that the Murdoch bid to buy Dow Jones will be successful. Some are already musing or agonizing about the changes likely to occur at the Wall Street Journal. Looking back, are the Bancrofts and their family business unique? Unusual, perhaps, but hardly unique. It’s undoubtedly been a challenging few […]
