Let Me Tell You A Story

Every family in business has a story – or, more likely, many stories. Family stories give context to a family’s culture, historical perspective to current crises, and insight to influences that helped shaped the family and the organization. Stories show next generations who the family is: the family culture, values, work ethic, and faith.  Stories invite the next generation to experience a world that shaped who they are.  Stories connect the listener to the storyteller, to the key players in the story, and to the history. 

For some, getting senior generations to tell stories is easy.  For others, it takes more intentional effort.  Sometimes stories are told during informal conversations at work or at home.  Sometimes creating space for intentional dialogue can foster family storytelling.  Younger generations can provide rich opportunities for telling family stories by asking leading questions. For example:

            Tell me about the time…

            Tell me how you started in the business…

            What was the most difficult obstacle grandpa faced…

            Give me an example of when…

            What did you do when…

What are the stories you are telling your children?

Your stories are unique to your family.  Sometimes, senior generations think their stories are obvious.  Or boring.  Or not interesting to younger generations.  It’s these stories, however, that give context and character to a family.  It shows them how their families became who they are and how the business became what it is.  It’s these stories that give younger generations an identity of who they are.  It helps younger generations grasp hold of an identity bigger than themselves.

The family-ness that comes from this shared identity is also one of a family business’s strongest competitive advantages.  In other words, sharing stories not only brings understanding and identity to family, it is also one of the best ways to develop one of your strongest competitive advantages.

Communicating your family story is part of building your legacy in teaching and raising up the next generations. Your children and grandchildren will continue writing the story of your family. Help your family continue your legacy. 

Let me tell you a story.