家族企業薪火相傳之道
|
4. 沒有保證 ????第二條規則是：一位家族成員不能僅僅因為帶著米切爾這個姓就自動獲得工作，他們得有資質才行，技能和激情都不可欠缺，如此才能在各自職責范圍內成長。我的子侄選擇了不同的領域發展：一位負責財務與管理，另一位專攻銷售與推廣，還有一位負責營銷，剩下幾位管理新設的門店。我們的外部顧問委員會和咨詢師戴維?波克都支持這一政策。 ????如今該規則已屹立二十年，我們的子侄已在公司內擔任領導職務，其中兩位目前是聯合總裁，很快還會變成聯席首席執行官。 5. 早日傳承股權 ????當我最大的兩個兒子拉塞爾和鮑勃分別29歲和27歲，而比爾的小兒子泰勒才13歲時，我們兄弟倆就把很大一筆股權轉到了他們名下。16年后，剩余的股權也轉移了。我們很早就信賴他們能打理好家族企業，使他們成為企業的主人，由此也變得更負責更用心。他們恪守使企業發展壯大的指導原則和價值觀，把每一位同事、客戶和供貨商都當成朋友，與他們構建良好關系，并把企業的方方面面都打理得很好。 6. 保障老一代的經濟安全 ????一個穩健的傳承程序要求，通過財務上的規劃，使老一代退休時能擁有家族企業之外的足夠的資產，確保“金錢”不成為永遠把握控制權的原因。通常情況下，如果家族企業所有人的全部資產都在企業之內，他們的活躍時間往往過長，遲遲不讓下一代走上領導崗位，而且還可能變得過分保守，不愿大膽冒險。 7. 坦率與透明的溝通 ????當然，我們一家也面臨過不少挑戰，我們并不完美。多年來，所有家族成員和家族之外的高管都形成了共識：只有缺乏透明溝通才會使我們分崩離析。因此我們設立了多種頗為重要的會議。 ????我們嚴守每周二早上開家庭會議的傳統，在一個類似安全港的場合秘密磋商，任何仍在企業內活躍的家庭成員想要討論的議題，都可在該會議上討論。 ????自90年代中期起，我們還設立了家庭議會，成員包含自我父親埃德和母親諾瑪以下的所有年滿14歲的家庭成員及其配偶。 8. 開心最重要 ????我們全力工作，全情娛樂。企業經營當然不會總是完美，但我們顯然都在享受家庭之樂。 ????杰克?米切爾是米切爾家族商店的董事長兼首席執行官，他撰有《擁抱顧客，擁抱員工》（Hug Your Customers and Hug Your People）一書。 ????譯者：小宇 |
?4. No guarantees ????The second rule was that a family member was not entitled to a job simply because their name was Mitchell. They needed to be qualified, possessing both the skills and the passion to grow within their area of responsibility. Our sons ended up choosing different areas: one picked finance and administration, another sales and merchandising, another marketing, and several managing newly acquired stores. Our outside advisory board and our consultant David Bork supported this policy. ????And now, after 20 years, our sons and nephews hold leadership positions within our company. Two of them are co-presidents and will soon become co-CEOs. 5. Pass the equity early ????When our oldest sons, Russ and Bob, were 29 and 27, and Tyler, Bill's youngest son, was only 13, my brother and I gave them a large percentage of the equity of the business. Sixteen years later, the remaining stake was transferred. We trusted them with our business early, and they became much more responsible and accountable because they were owners. They stuck by the guiding principles and values that had served us well, building relationships with each and every associate, customer, and vendor by treating them as friends, and measuring every facet of our business. 6. Provide financial security to the senior generation ????A solid succession process requires a financial plan that allows the older generation to retire with enough assets outside the business to ensure that "money" is not the reason to remain in control forever. Often, when all of their assets are in the business, the owners not only tend to stay active too long and block the next generation from leading, but they also become too conservative, unwilling to take bold risks out of fear that they might cripple the entire business. 7. Communication: candid and transparent ????Of course, our family has had its share of challenges. We are not perfect. And over the years, all of the family and senior non-family executives have agreed that a lack of transparent communication would be the only thing that could pull us apart. So we have many different, yet important, meetings. ????Faithfully, we have scheduled weekly Tuesday morning family meetings. We discuss in a confidential way, in a safe haven of sorts, any issues that are on the active working family members' minds. ????We have had a Family Council since the mid 1990s, which consists of all members of the Mitchell family descended from Ed and Norma, our parents, who are 14 years old and above, including spouses. 8. Have fun ????We work hard and we play hard. Of course, things are not always perfect, yet we clearly all enjoy our family fun. ????Jack Mitchell is the chairman and CEO of Mitchells Family of Stores and the author of Hug Your Customers and Hug Your People. |
