Wealth of Wisdom

CHAPTER 50Gamechanging

Matt Wesley

Gamechanging is a way to disentangle stubborn family dynamics. It focuses first on understanding the critical aspects of the family through a process of close observation. Once the dynamics are fully mapped, Gamechanging addresses the keystone habits that lock the problematic patterns in place.¹

The goal is to foster positive change in one or two keystone habits that will cascade through the family system.

The Werner family was having difficulty with their family business. Some family members worked in the business and some did not. They had countless arguments about dividends, strategy, and management decisions. The generational transition was not going smoothly, and leaders of both the family and the business were not working well together. It looked like a mess.

Over a full day, we engaged the family in a deep dive using a Gamechanging approach. Within a year of that event, by changing just one keystone habit most of the major problems were resolved. The remaining issues were moving in a much better direction. Because they were focused on changing only one thing, the adjustment was relatively easy to make.

The Setup

The heart of Gamechanging, and the key to its success, lies in deeply observing the “game” itself. The facilitator sets up the conversation by identifying the game that the couple or family is playing. In the example above, the game was called “Family Business.” The facilitator noted that while running the family business ...