Unfreeze the Family
Joseph H. Astrachan
Marty and Bobby see Dotty in her family role, as daughter and sister, rather than in
her potential business role. They also seem to view her in a traditionally gender-biased
manner they think that she and all women are generally frail and that they lack
competence and assertiveness. They also may be unwilling to share control of the
company.
Inaccurate perceptions and inappropriate communications are major impediments to
working through the succession issues that this family business faces. Marty, Bobby, and
Dott
They need to be able to envision one another as being capable of more than their roles in
the family. They can begin expanding their views by explicitly discussing their roles,
traits, strengths, and weaknesses in the family and in other settings. The positive as well
Broaden the Lens
Mary Whiteside
dressed if the family as a whole including the
estranged son will take time for a family council meeting to assess succession planning,
current and future ownership structure, goals for Schmidt Works, and everyone’s hopes
for family relationships.
realizes that a fast-growing international business requires organizational innovation.
Dorothy may have to differentiate among her needs for recognition and approval
within the family, her career aims, and her loyalty to Schmidt Works. It will help if she
asks herself if the business is the only place she can interact with her father, learn from