"If I had to work with my brother, I probably would have killed him!" Such phrases can often be heard from people struck by the fact that you can be colleagues with your relatives, not to mention joint business management. Perhaps, sometimes this really seems like a pointless undertaking. However, disagreements may turn out to be major achievements. Entrepreneur Daniel Roberts spoke about her experience in owning an insurance company with her brother.
“We worked all our lives together, starting with the car wash, where we came as children,” Roberts admits. This collective activity could not but affect the formation of their characters and attitudes towards work. “There is no doubt that for decades we have been competing with each other. We fought for everything from the one who gets the last cookie to the size of our office space. Our quarrels helped us become better negotiators, learn to compromise and work harder work on improving their skills. "
If you ever thought about working with a family member, you will probably be surprised to learn that it is precisely the things that drive you crazy that can help you succeed in business. Here are a few ways to get family relationships to work on business development.
1. Know your strengths
Things will go better if everyone does what he is good at. Roberts says that even in childhood, the division of labor helped them and their brother work well: he had to knock on the door of a potential client to offer to wash the car, and Daniel stood on the path near the house, with a bucket, a sponge and a smile on her lips.
2. Benefit from working with "natural allies"
Claire Hughes, author of Public Understanding and Social Life, explains that, despite the competition between children, brothers and sisters are our “natural allies”, with whom we are usually on the same wavelength. According to Roberts, "you get a clearer picture of everything from competition to banking decisions, if there is always someone you can trust to express your ideas and opinions."
3. Take advantage of understanding
If you grew up in the same family, most likely you have common views on some issues. As for Roberts and her brother, they had similar opinions regarding work ethics and approach to finance. "We both love to make money by personal efforts and we are both investors who believe in reinvesting profits back to the agency and in helping our employees," said the entrepreneur.
To better understand each other, try making a list of common features that may work in your favor.
4. Celebrate Victory Together
There is something truly special about succeeding with someone who has known you all your life. “We both remember the tiniest long-standing things, for example, joining forces in persuading mom to buy a trampoline, if we pay for it with our own money. Then we remember really important things - for example, the day when our first six-digit deposit got into the company's current account. Perhaps you will have much greater achievements, but you will never forget where you came from and begin to respect the joint work that brought you here. "
Of course, a business with a brother or sister is not suitable for everyone, but if you ever thought about this, take a look at the differences between you and ask yourself: can these differences be strengths in a business partnership? Perhaps, unexpectedly for yourself, you will find that the things that bore you in your relative are exactly what is needed for the prosperity of the company.
