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The REAL Bottom Line: Growing People!
 By
Henry Landes
Perhaps like you, my development as a child was profoundly and
positively impacted by my close contact and involvement in a thriving
family business started in 1929 by Grammy and Grandpop, Susan and
I. T. Landes. I have fond memories of "hanging around the shop"
with my Grandpop, my Dad, my older brothers, and employees . . .
observing, learning, no doubt often getting in the way, and sometimes
even contributing!
I believe our businesses can be powerful resources (part of the
"village") in growing children. From the earliest days
of cleaning bathrooms, mowing the company lawns, and sealing envelopes,
the family AND the business provide an excellent learning laboratory
for our children.
However, I also believe our families have a responsibility to
"grow children" or, more accurately, to "grow people"
throughout the lifecycle, not just during the early years. Successful
businesses also share this strong commitment to "growing people."
In the introduction of his book, Love & Profit: The Art of Caring
Leadership, James Autry asserts, "Work can provide the opportunity
for spiritual and personal, as well as financial growth. If it doesn't,
then we’re wasting far too much of our lives on it."
We recommend that business families adopt a Family Learning Policy
which specifically addresses the family’s commitment to personal
and professional development throughout the lifecycle.
So HOW do business-owning families grow people—family and
non-family members alike? We've developed a simple tool to help
families "grow people"; we call it a Personal & Professional
Development Plan. To be completed annually and reviewed at least
quarterly, this one-page worksheet asks EACH family member or employee
to:
- Credit and acknowledge their accomplishments of the
past year. We believe the best professional and personal
growth plans need to build on a solid foundation of past accomplishments.
- Commit to work goals ("no kidding"
outcomes/results) to be achieved in the coming year.
- Define and commit to specific professional development
goals (skills/experiences/knowledge) which will help
meet current and future responsibilities (Steve Covey calls this
"sharpening the saw").
- Define and commit to specific annual personal goals:
family, marriage, health, recreation.
Last, but perhaps most profound, the Personal & Professional
Development Plan (PPDP) also includes space to define your
personal mission/primary aim which really undergirds all growth.
The PPDP is a powerful tool to be developed in concert with the
direct supervisor of each employee. We believe family meetings provide
the ideal place for family members to mutually share and support
each other’s PPDP. In our work with business families, we
use the PPDP as the centerpiece for developing the business AND
the people which helps both to thrive.
Developing and being accountable to a PPDP is also a foundational
tool for our Leadership Labs, peer groups for family business leaders.
If you have interest in learning more about PPDP or our Leadership
Labs, please give Sally a call at 215-723-8413.
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