Tips executives in the family Jullie Smolyansky currently serves as President of Lifeway Foods Inc. (hereinafter Lifeway a manufacturer of health foods from the family company based in Morton Grove, Illinois, USA).
He is a new generation of leaders Lifeway, daughter of Michael and Ludmila Smolyansky, immigrants from Russia and founder of the company. Ludmila is currently the President, while Michael had died in 2002.
Sister Julie, Edward, is now Director of Finance. Lifeway became the first Russian immigrants owned by the company to be listed on the stock exchange (go public).
The story of the beginning of the game business Lifeway Michael and Ludmila selling kefir, a type of traditional milk drinks are popular in Russia and Eastern Europe, in the US market. Business began in 1986 in a basement in Skokie, Illinois.
Ludmila be the "brain" that trigger and grow the business of the company. At the age of 26 years, Ludmila came to the US, without the ability to speak English. Besides selling kefir also became food importers in Europe. According to Julie, her mother was a great insight on trends and high quality products.
Julie do aspire to raise Lifeway, so they can be in line with the first Similar companies are established. Lifeway kefir has been a new product category based.
Kefir is actually an ingredient commonly used in Russia, although still foreign to many people. Julie lifted cultural heritage by creating wealth, creating and introducing a new category in the food industry.
Meanwhile, many large reputable companies that focus on marketing and advertising activities to compete, Julie focuses on the story of his family. When she was alive, her father, Michael, hire a PR firm (PR) when the newly established company, aiming chronicles the struggle of a Russian immigrant in the US ..
Julie believes the story told again and again as many people through various means capital can be a competitive advantage. When Julie took over the family business at the age of 27, he took advantage of social networks to transmit your family history.
For Julie, the success of Lifeway not be separated from the closeness of the relationship. He worked closely with Edward, his brother. I was glad to work with families facilitates open communication and transparency.
According to him, when working with unfamiliar colleagues, you have to be diplomatic. However, in time with the family, you can talk about what it is.
What happens in Lifeway can certainly be an inspiration and a role model for other family businesses, including in Indonesia. Brothers peers, with the support of parents, hand raising a family business. Harmonious family, thriving enterprise. That's the dream of every family business.
Unfortunately, the reality is often not as beautiful as a dream. Many family members who were initially able to work together and then broke and engaged in a bloody dispute. The good news, this division can be anticipated and avoided or at least minimized.
Three Threats
To do this, the company should pay attention to the family, at least three likely to plunge the company into divisions.
First, when the company is growing up and forward.
At the moment the company has not been established for some time, many family members who are still alive are concerned. Fought together, often in order to maintain viability.
sense of kinship made compact and are willing to work together to achieve a goal, which is to promote the company. Excluding personal egos.
But when the company has a large, characterized by abundant cash benefits and, not infrequently every member of the family began to show his ego and accentuate their respective interests. If not provided, the conflict would break.
Second, when the older generation or founders left the company. During this time, the older generation became a central figure respected thanks to the knowledge and exceptional leadership qualities, something that is not, or at least not yet, is owned by the younger generation.
Whatever the case, if the older generation has been decided, the problem is considered finished. These conditions resulted in young people are reluctant to stand, even though he disagreed with the attitude and actions of the founder who also works as a parent.
However, when there is the older generation, each child began to dare to wear and show their displeasure. If left unchecked, and every one wants to give, conflicts erupt.
Third, when a family member who joined the company growing. It would be dangerous if you receive only family members are based on family ties, not competition.
It is certainly not fair to those who are truly competent and have worked hard to improve the company. If allowed to drag will result in conflicts. The worst consequence is the departure of family members talented.
So the growth and development of the company, the departure of the older generation and the growing number of family members who work becomes a critical relationships between family members time.
