Blog
Insights, tools, and training straight from the team at Compass Point
BLOG | FAMILY DYNAMICS / GOVERNANCE
The Many Facets of Ownership
In 1978 the 2-circle illustration of family business evolved when Harvard business professor Renato Tagiuri and then-graduate student John Davis added a third circle – Ownership – to better account for the distinct groups that existed in a family business. With the addition of Ownership, the 3-circle model more accurately captured the seven facets of ownership.
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BLOG | LEADERSHIP
Leadership Is Not What You Think
When I first started Compass Point 20 years ago, leadership was an ancillary topic. My work focused on the systems, financials, hiring the right people, and being a confidant to the owner. At the time I didn’t see it as leadership coaching, but rather as building a relationship with a client who trusted me enough to let me see the inner workings of their mind and business. I helped the person as I helped the business. Times – and leadership – have changed.
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BLOG | OWNER FINANCIAL GAP
It’s The Simple Math That Doesn’t Get Done
Family business owners are passionate about what they do. They’re working to carry on a business that family built – by their parents, grandparents, sometimes even great-grandparents and beyond. These owners are so busy providing for their employees, communities, and the next generation that they often ignore their own financial future. Boiling it down to its true essence, business is a means to building wealth. And what are we supposed to do with that wealth?
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BLOG | LEADERSHIP
The Many Hats of a Family Business
Product. Team. Customers. Processes. Sales. Revenue. Profit. Cash. These are the elements to any good, viable business. But a family business needs more than just those elements to build a sustainable family business. With many dynamics at play, the business owner needs to understand which "hat" to wear, when to wear it, and when to switch. Do you know how to manage it all?
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BLOG | LEADERSHIP
Which leader are YOU?
One of the hallmarks of good leadership is to have a mindset of being a lifelong learner. When we continue to learn and apply, we become better leaders, ones who inspire our people to bring the best and who develop and hone the team’s skills to predict and delegate. That's where the lift comes in the business. That's where you take a business from good to GREAT. Great leadership multiplies and amplifies others.
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BLOG | FAMILY DYNAMICS / GOVERNANCE
A Strong Family Business Isn’t Perfect
Running a family business is a lot like any other business. There are sales goals to meet, market trends to monitor, supply chains to navigate, stakeholders’ expectations to manage and people to hire, fire and develop. Pretty much the same… UNTIL you add FAMILY. And then, there are family dynamics to consider as you chart your business's course and build a strong family business.
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BLOG | LEADERSHIP
How To Get Predictable Results in Your Family Business in an Unpredictable World
Why do great family businesses improve despite dealing with the same crappy external factors that destroy some businesses and stall others? Because they practice and execute these tenets...
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BLOG | EXECUTION
Family Business Growth: Charting Your Course versus Any Wind Will Do
One of the biggest barriers to family business growth is the lack of a written strategic plan. Why written? Because research shows when you write down your goals, you are 42% more likely to achieve the desired results. Who doesn’t want those odds on their side?
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BLOG | PEOPLE / TALENT
There are No Wrong Questions
Questions are the best way to identify problems and help people find the answers. A question for you… Do you question WHAT you do, HOW you do it, and most importantly WHY you do it?
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BLOG | FAMILY DYNAMICS / GOVERNANCE
Family Business Consultants: The Rising Tide That Lifts All Boats
Family business leaders face tremendous stress as they deal with all the challenges of business, and also the inherent intertwining of business...
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BLOG | LEADERSHIP
The long-game of Leadership
A high-performing team needs continuous investment, because of one simple fact: a company cannot outgrow its leadership.
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BLOG | STRATEGY
Where’s your road map for 2023?
Do you have your plan for first quarter 2023? Is it written down for the team to see, understand and act upon? Or is it still tucked away in your head, and shared as needed?
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