I would love
to hear answers to this question from seedsmen around the
world!I think the keys are
respect, space, and communication.
We respect each other as individuals
and as professionals. We establish areas of responsibility and
try not to cross the lines. We meet to establish a shared
vision for the future, then communicate it to everyone in the
company.
That may sound simplistic and easy,
and it is not. We blundered through a lot of trial and error.
We wrote job descriptions, then changed them. We now use some
tools, for example a family code of conduct and a policy on
hiring family members. We leave our family problems at the
door when we enter.
I tried to continue the single leader
style, but now have changed the organizational chart to one
with three leaders. Our areas of responsibility are
administration, production and sales. When a decision involves
the whole entity, we work as a group, often with
inter-generational input.
