The family business: A key pillar for success
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The family business: Juan Alpuente's churro shop
The family business is one of the most essential and often underestimated elements in any industry. From small stores to large companies, the ability of individuals to work together effectively and harmoniously can determine the success or failure of a family business.
In our Negocios en Acción podcast, Juan Alpuente, churrero from Barcelona, shared valuable tips on how to work in a family business has been crucial to the growth and success of his churro shop.
“The family business is complicated, you have to put yourself in the shoes of your family member” - Juan Alpuente
Working in a family business refers to the collaboration of a group of people united by family ties to achieve a common goal.
The family business is like a home-cooked meal, where each member provides their own special ingredient to create a delicious dish. It's the combination of diverse efforts and skills, which together achieve results that would be impossible to achieve separately. It is the integration of different family recipes that, when combined, form a complete and satisfying culinary experience.
It's not just about working together, but about doing it in a coordinated and efficient way, taking advantage of individual strengths to achieve a result greater than what could be achieved by working in isolation.
“My father didn't go to school, he learned from other churreros who in turn have learned from other churreros” - Juan Alpuente
The family business is not only based on the collaboration and technical skills of its members, but also in intergenerational learning and the transmission of knowledge. As Juan Alpuente mentions, “my father didn't go to school, he learned from other churreros who in turn learned from other churreros,” stressing the importance of tradition and practical learning.
Family businesses such as Alpuente's churro shop they understand this philosophy perfectly. Juan has learned from his father, who in turn learned from other churreros, creating a chain of knowledge and skills transmitted from generation to generation.
These efforts not only improve product quality, but also strengthen team cohesion and the ability to innovate within the framework of tradition.
That said, everything that reduces the transmission of intergenerational knowledge is not gold It can also bring challenges, such as resistance to change and difficulty introducing new ideas or technologies that modernize the business.
Heavy reliance on traditional methods can limit the ability to adapt to current market demands, and differences of opinion between generations can cause conflicts and tensions in the family business.
Therefore, we recommend that you learn more about 8 tools to transform your employees into experts and have a greater ease of adapting to today's market.
Family business challenges
- Interpersonal conflicts: Personal and professional relationships can mix, leading to conflicts that transcend the work environment and affect family life. Minor disagreements at work can turn into major family problems and vice versa.
- Lack of separation: It's difficult to maintain a clear separation between work and personal life. Work discussions can extend to family moments and work stress can affect harmony at home.
- Difficulty giving and receiving feedback: It can be difficult to give and receive constructive criticism between family members. Criticism can be taken more personally, which can lead to resentment and misunderstanding.
- Inequality in workload: There may be a perception that one of the family members is not contributing as much as they should, which can cause friction and feelings of injustice.
- Favouritism: Other employees may perceive that favouritism is being shown to the family member, which can affect team morale and dynamics.
- Resistance to change: In family businesses, especially those with a long tradition, there can be significant resistance to changing established methods and practices, even when necessary to adapt to new times and technologies.
- Expectations and pressures: There is additional pressure not to disappoint the family and keep the business running successfully, which can be stressful and lead to internal conflicts.
- Decision-making difficulties: Important decisions can be harder to make when emotions and family relationships are involved, which can slow down business progress.
- Succession issues: Deciding who will take over the reins of the business in the future can be a complicated and emotionally charged process, especially if there are several family members involved with different expectations and aspirations.
Success stories: Juan Alpuente's churro shop
During our conversation at Negocios en Acción, Juan from Alpuente's churro shop emphasized the importance of the family business in your churro shop. Although Juan didn't have the opportunity to apply new ideas directly to his father, his role as a leader and his dedication to creating a collaborative environment have been key to the success of your business.
Juan Alpuente's churro shop lessons
- Value the family team: Juan said, “The family business is complicated, you have to put yourself in the shoes of your family member.”
- Recognizing and valuing the efforts of each team member is crucial to maintaining high morale and fostering an environment of mutual respect and support.
- Intergenerational learning: “My father didn't go to school, he learned from other churreros who in turn have learned from other churreros.”
- A good leader must maintain tradition and at the same time seek ways to improve and update techniques.
- Constancy and perseverance: “Little by little it has separated from the churrería, but it keeps coming and will always come.”
- This feeling reflects the essence of the perseverance and perseverance that are the lifeblood of a family business.
- Continuous dedication and sustained effort not only ensure long-term success, but they also keep alive the emotional connection with the business. Every member of the team must understand that the commitment and love put into daily work are what nourishes the heart of the company.
- It is persistence in every detail, loyalty to family tradition and love for the profession that truly builds and sustains the legacy across generations.
- Emotional management: “It's complicated because when you have a person who knows so much, you have the little fear of not knowing if you're going to be able to do better than him.”
- This feeling of insecurity is profoundly human.
- Admiring someone who has achieved such a high level of mastery and success can create a constant shadow of doubt. The fear of not living up to those expectations can be a heavy burden, especially when you are in the process of learning and growing.
- Despite this fear, it's crucial to support team members during these times of pressure and anxiety. The stability and general well-being of the team depends on recognizing and managing these feelings, transforming fear into motivation to exceed expectations and continue the legacy with passion and determination.
How to encourage success in a family business
To make the most of the benefits of the family business, it is important to implement strategies that promote collaboration and cohesion. Some recommendations include:
1. Develop communication skills
Improve the ability to listen actively: Effective communication is essential for success in a family business. Active listening means not only hearing the words of others, but also understand the meaning behind them.
This involves paying full attention, asking clarifying questions, and demonstrating empathy. By doing so, you can avoid misunderstandings and build stronger relationships.
Express ideas and opinions in a clear and respectful manner: It's important that all members of the business can share their thoughts without fear of being judged. Practising assertive communication, rather than passive or aggressive, helps to express opinions constructively.
Using “I” instead of “you” to express feelings can prevent discussions from becoming confrontational.
2. Strengthen family relationships
Dedicate time to family activities outside the work environment: The balance between the professional and the personal are crucial for maintaining healthy relationships within the family business.
Scheduling activities that aren't work-related, such as family dinners, field trips, or recreational events, helps strengthen personal bonds and reduces work stress.
Cultivate empathy and understanding: Family relationships within the business can be complicated due to the mix of personal and professional dynamics.
Practising empathy, that is, putting yourself in the other's shoes and understanding their perspectives and feelings, can resolve conflicts more effectively and strengthen the family bond.
3. Foster personal and professional growth
Search for continuing education opportunities: Constant learning is key to personal and professional development. Participating in courses, workshops and seminars not only improves your skills and knowledge, but it also keeps you updated on trends and best practices in your field.
Set clear personal goals: Having well-defined goals provides you with direction and motivation. Whether it's improving a specific skill, taking on new business responsibilities, or achieving personal balance, setting clear goals helps you measure your progress and stay focused.
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4. Practice time management
Organize and prioritize tasks effectively: Good time management involves identifying the most important and urgent tasks and tackling them first. Using tools such as to-do lists, calendars, or time management apps can help you stay organized and reduce stress associated with a backlog of work.
Balancing work and personal responsibilities: It's essential not to let work invade all your personal time. Establishing clear boundaries between work and personal time, such as defining specific schedules for work and rest, helps prevent burnout and maintain a balanced life.
5. Maintain a positive and resilient attitude
Tackling challenges with optimism: A positive attitude to challenges allows us to approach problems with a solution mentality, rather than seeing them as insurmountable obstacles. Focusing on opportunities that arise from challenges can boost creativity and foster a more positive work environment.
Develop resilience capacity: Resilience is the ability to recover quickly from difficulties. In the context of a family business, this involves learning from failures, adapting to changes and moving forward with renewed energy. Fostering a resilient mindset helps maintain motivation and family cohesion during difficult times.
Conclusion
The family business is a vital component of the success of any organization. As Juan taught us, valuing and supporting each member of the team, maintaining clear and open communication, and encouraging perseverance and perseverance are essential elements for building a strong and effective team.
By implementing strategies that promote collaboration and cohesion, any family business can achieve higher levels of success and satisfaction for both its employees and its customers.
For more information on the importance of working in a family business and how to implement it in your company, we invite you to watch our podcast Negocios en acción with Juan from Churrería Alpuente.
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