 |
Delaware Valley Family Business Forum
 By
Henry D. Landes
February 2000
One of the dangers of lots of activity is that the really important
things may be allowed to slip through the cracks. This is true whether
we’re talking about our personal careers, our family business,
or even our business family. So, let’s stay focused on the
really important issues. From the Forum’s perspective those
issues are:
-
One of the EXCLUSIVE benefits for Forum Members is the Policy
Handbook for Business Families. The first chapters
of this "work in progress" were released last year,
and new and informative material will continue to be added throughout
this year. A family employment policy is one of the scheduled
handouts coming at our March meeting.
-
Remember those surveys? YOU asked for it—you GOT IT!
Our commitment to making the Forum responsive to your family
business priorities has led to the following:
-
Forums will be enhanced by the addition of The Succession
Zone, a regular second half of each Forum! Selected members
will share where they’re at in "The Zone,"
and what has helped them navigate the often turbulent waters
inherent in the family business equation. Preparing the Founders
is the focus at the March meeting of this interactive supplement!
-
A dynamic 2000 Forum Program! Phil Clemens of Hatfield Quality
Meats, speaker at our March Forum, hardly needs an introduction,
but read more about our kickoff event on p. 1. This is no
"baloney"!
-
For May’s Forum we will join with one of our local
TEC group to wrestle with the challenge of finding, recruiting,
compensating, AND keeping employees who are winners. Any successful
business leader knows that the people we trust, acknowledge,
empower, and reward make all the difference. The person grows
and so does our business. In spite of this reality, many of
us do a poor job with human resource issues. Our May Forum
will hit the topic head-on.
-
We all know and understand sibling rivalry. Our September
Forum will look at building and empowering sibling teams (as
in working together, not competing and trying to sabotage
each other). We’ll showcase some winning examples of
siblings who are "getting it done."
- There’s a wise old adage that says, "Plan your
work, then work your plan." It pays off in spades when
laying the foundation for a family business. The November Forum
will deal with the benefits and knowing how to plan and focus
our resources resulting in goal-setting that leads to success
for business families. If you don’t know where you’re
going, it’s tough to get there.
-
The Delaware Valley Family Business Forum opens the millennium
with a new corporate sponsor. Help me welcome the Pitcairn Trust
Company of Jenkintown as the Forum’s newest sponsor. The
company is a natural for the Forum because, like the rest of
our members, it’s a family business. Now in its fourth
generation of family leadership, Pitcairn Trust Company is a
dynamic regional leader in investment management services. Welcome.
We hope to also welcome many new business families at our March
15 Forum!
|
|
