Working for a Family Business Can Be Rough Some of us work in big corporations; others of us in small corporations; and some are employed by in a family business. I want to focus on some of the particular challenges face d by employees of the firm who are not related to those who own the business. A family-owned business can be great If you’ve been lucky, you’ve worked in a family-owned business in which both ‘family’ and ‘bus...
Differing Orders—Refuse the Project? The CEO of your company encouraged working across silos, but your boss Sean has a differing view. In the last post, you asked Sean’s permission to go ahead with a cross-silo project. He was either angry or gave you a chance. Problem is you don’t know which one it will be before you ask. Wouldn’t it be best to refuse to undertake the cross-silo project with your buddy, given you know that Sean...
Mismatched Orders—Ask Your Boss? Your CEO (Danvers) gave a rousing speech about breaking down silos which seem mismatched with your boss Sean’s views. In the last post, you and your buddy Ethan from another section decided to go ahead with a cross-silo project. Sean did not react well. Given this, should you have asked him first even though you think he would have said no? Let’s see what happens. Asking your boss about mismatched ...
Clashing Orders—Follow the Big Boss? In the last post, you went to an inspiring all-staff meeting where the CEO, Ms. Danvers, encouraged everyone to work across silos to create greater team work. You think it’s a great idea although your boss Sean seems to be giving off vibes clashing with the CEO. But your buddy Ethan from another unit (silo) of the company is also enthusiastic and suggests you work together on a great new app. You...
Inconsistent Orders You can get into trouble when the big boss is saying one thing and your immediate boss is giving conflicting orders. Let’s look at the following situation with inconsistent orders. You’ve just come from an all-staff meeting. The CEO seems great. She’s all fired up about a new approach to teamwork which encourages employees to work across silos to share expertise and resources. You’re eager to give it a try. Y...