CHAPTER 44Strengthening Your “Family Factor” to Deconstruct Conflict
Blair Trippe and Doug Baumoel
At the beginning of Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy wrote that “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” But what characterizes the proverbial happy family? A “happy family” is connected and resilient over time—able to capitalize on opportunities and weather the inevitable challenges that life throws their way. “Happy” families have what we call a strong Family Factor.
Understanding the concept of Family Factor gives you a framework for making your family stronger and more resilient. The stronger your family factor, the more likely you are to succeed in addressing current and future challenges. This takes time and commitment, but the benefits are real. There are no prerequisites beyond having a family and a desire to build family strength over time.
What Is the Family Factor?
The family factor is the answer to the question: Is your family bond strong enough to leverage compromise, forgiveness, and commitment to change? It is the glue that keeps all the parts of families together or fixes them when they are broken. It is a combination of three elements: shared history, shared vision of being family in the future, and trust. Through understanding these components, you will quickly understand the process of how you can build and/or strengthen your family factor.
Step 1: Understand the Components
Shared history forms the foundation of most relationships. ...
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