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bers who are in breach another opportunity, or will you be determined
to apply the weightiest of sanctions from the outset? Are these sanc-
tions legally applicable? You have a constitution which was written 25
years ago. The grandfather has since passed away, the company has
survived through very hard times and crises, and has expanded even
further. Your family has grown larger by tenfold - will you be bound by
the same principles, or are you ready to renew them?
To solve a problem that you are not a part of is the easier position
to be in. There may definitely be issues that you cannot predict.
Nevertheless, you are always able to consult with someone who has
already experienced these problems, or you may request professional
assistance. When the problem is actually occurring, conflicts of inter-
est may detract you from the solution. You may opt to avoid any
debate, and this may exacerbate the problem. Therefore, the best thing
to do is to seek a solution, even by becoming the devil’s advocate
before any problem occurs when all of the communication channels
are still open.
Indeed, family companies are based on a culture of partnership.
The company survives by gaining assets. However, family is an insti-
tution where you do not expect any consideration in return for your
love. Therefore, the different chemistry of a company and family may
interfere. Although it is impossible to prevent any conflicts, by antici-
pating certain situations, the outcome of such conflicts can be foresee-
able, thus, it is very useful to gather and evaluate solutions for such
problems from similar experiences for the purpose of improving the
partnership culture before any problems appear and expectations dif-
fer, and different rightful grounds are seized upon. So, when should the
family constitution workshops start? In my opinion, the right time may
be at the moment of economic crisis when members of the family are
most concerned for the future of the company, and the most mature
time for emphatic approaches. Another reason for this is the possibili-
ty that the scale of the company can no longer require a constitution to
be drafted after the crisis if the necessary precautions are not timely
taken.
Above all, a family constitution is an inspiring instrument for
the entire family that not only frames the basic principles for the
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