Finding the Common Ground

Listen to David discuss the importance of finding common ground when establishing a family business. In order to maintain an agreeable relationship among family members, it is important to create a shared goal to ensure that all family members are on board when making long-term decisions.

David Bentall (2) If we were a mediator, what do mediators look for? They look for common ground. And so if I was to try to help my dad and my uncle create a shared vision, I’d say what do each of you want for the future? What are your dreams and visions for the future? And if we looked at my dad and my uncle, although it looked like they had radically different views, my uncle wanted to give the money to charity, so charitable objects were his priority. My dad wanted the business to carry on in the family, those weren’t mutually exclusive. We could have built the business for generations to come and made an agreement that the results of our financial success might have flowed to charity, directed by my uncle. So looking for common ground would have been a way. So that’s how I think that we should encourage families.