ABSTRACT
The second phase of our consultation process with a conflicted family business requires an assessment of the primary problem or problems, as is often the case. Therefore, it initially involves having in-depth interviews or conversations with individual family members, meeting them in person whenever possible. This is often a daunting task because of most people's understandable reluctance to reveal to strangers what they really think, feel, and know. Moreover, they are expected to do this with consultants usually chosen by someone else and whom they certainly don't yet trust. In addition, for us there are often geography challenges to overcome: many of the businesses with whom we consult are distant from our home base.
