Succeeding Generations

CHAPTER 5

Working with Dreams

WHEN a family embarks upon a visioning process, they run the risk that long-buried feelings may bubble to the surface. Sometimes the inability to address and clarify old issues can thwart the succession process. The endless bickering that occurs in some family businesses often masks underlying resentments involving buried Dreams. These hidden aspirations play themselves out in other arenas, distorting judgment on major business questions and sometimes doing great damage to the company. The son who argues with a father over whether an older manager should be fired, brothers and sisters who clash over opening new markets or developing new technologies—all may be expressing anger that has little to do with the merits ...