- March 30, 2017
- 11:05 am
- Andrew Keyt
- no comments
Conflict in Family Business: Building Unity with Heidi Vermeer Quist
Heidi Vermeer-Quist spoke at our most recent conference, Deconstructing Conflict in the Family Business, and we recently sat down with her for an interview. We asked her some questions about her challenges as a family business leader, advice on navigating conflict within the family, and ways to build communication and unity. Read below to hear Heidi’s great advice!
Heidi Vermeer-Quist
Family Governance | Vermeer Corporation
Heidi is leader in family governance for Vermeer Corporation. She is also a psychologist, wife and mother. She spearheaded the initiative to bring the Vermeer Family Shareholder group together, developing the Ownership Council and promoting healthy family business governance over the last 10 years. Heidi and her husband Chad now work part-time with other family businesses to improve family business governance, communication and unity.
What has been your greatest challenge as a family business leader?
It’s emotional work. I would tell people that my work for the family business (which was all related to our family business governance development) was three times more stressful than my work as a clinical psychologist outside of the family business. That said, watching my family make progress in areas of conflict resolution, professionalism in family business governance, and growth in unity and alignment as owners has been immeasurably rewarding! Leading the family in the family business is intense, primarily because they are family (so emotional attachment is particularly strong). It’s really helpful to be aware of this going into it, especially if your family business is still on the beginning end of developing good family business governance. Be sure to have a family business consultant and perhaps other family business leaders from other companies near you to give you support, insight / guidance, and outside (a little more rational) perspectives. Also make sure you are attending to your own emotional health and know that you can only do what you can do. You can’t control or change family members, so keep encouraging them and, if you are a person of faith, pray often.
What is the most important thing you have learned when it comes to navigating conflict?
I can only do my part (which I will do imperfectly) and resolution of conflict will likely not follow my time table. I’m still preaching to myself…letting go of control of others and outcomes is important.
In your opinion, what is the most important thing family businesses can do to prevent conflict?
Establish good ground rules for communication, including statements like “we will be be both honest and kind to one another”, “we respect that each person has an important perspective and we strive to learn from each other”. We review our ground rules frequently. We also affirm that we are seeking consensus. There are no kings or queens in charge. We’ve come to realize that it often takes time and multiple conversations to come to a mutual understanding and/or develop the best solutions for our family and business. Slow down and take breaks as needed.
What is one piece of advice that you would give a family that is trying to improve their communication and unity?
Focus on mutual goals and values. You likely have much more in common than you have differences. Take time to focus on what you value and your shared history, both as a family and in the business. Build the foundation of what you all care about and then develop those ground rules for how you want to work through conflict proactively rather than reactively.
Also, I cannot stress enough the importance of spending good quality time together. Have dinners together, share memories, start an annual family business retreat or camp. Talk overtly about the goal of building better communication and unity. Talk about t how this will impact both your now and next generations
Thank you so much, Heidi, for your time and answers, and for speaking at our conference.
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