You were probably thankful just to get out and look forward to the special occasions where you could see each other for a limited amount of time, before the tension started to build (and of course, I write this from my own perspective; I know there are those of you who would happily live in a huge house with all your relatives forever. I am jealous).

Whether you couldn’t wait to leave or just wanted to stay, working with your family calls for special boundaries that you would not have to worry about were you to conduct business with people who did not share your genes.

In this article we will look at some ways in which you can make a working relationship with members of your family, whether as partners in business or in a hierarchy, a successful one.

The Greatest Strength of Working with Family Is Also the Greatest Weakness

Namely, that weakness is familiarity. When you start a business with a family member, or hire a family member to do a job within your own business, you generally know what to expect.

You can count on them in certain situations, to work hard, to support you in dealing with others, and so on.

Unfortunately, this familiarity also means that both you and your family member are aware of your general weaknesses. It is probably best to get this out in the open right away, before you make any agreement to work together on a business venture or to have an employer/employee relationship.

Set Some Boundaries

Make it clear, on both ends, that there will be no dialogue which contains the words "you are always like this…". There is no purpose to this kind of conversation except to lay guilt on the other party; and even though it may be true, it does present an unfair burden when it comes to business disagreements.

One of the best ways to deal with family and work is to establish some ground rules from the get-go, with the above example leading the way. Perhaps more importantly, both you and your family members should clearly define the lines of work and of your relationship outside of work; you don’t want that line crossed in either situation or it could wreck your relationship with both.

Remember that both you and your family member are likely to react differently to the same problem depending on your environment. The house can be a real pressure cooker, with facts contributing to scenarios that just don’t come into play at work.

Even if you do know, right down to the syllable, how your wife or your father might react to a situation at home does not necessarily mean they will act that way at work; give them the benefit of the doubt.

In other words, the best way to work with family is to start out with a clean slate, except of course on the positive side. Try not to hold prior experiences against them, unless of course those experiences directly impact on the work situation (theft, deception, back stabbing, and so on).

If you do have those types of problems when it comes to a certain family member, it is best not to get involved in a work relationship with them. Otherwise, be fair and wait to see if what you find annoying or weak in a family environment actually works well in the business.

Meetings for business and pleasure

When you own a business, there will inevitably be things that require a meeting. This time of collective thoughts should be designed to address the items at hand. Be careful not to mix this time with any family matters. Make sure that these times are separated. It is easy to get distracted by other issues if you’re not careful.

Normal business hours

Just like any other job, you have to keep reasonable hours at work. This is your business, and if the work load is spread evenly, the amount of time spent at work should be the same. If it takes 50 hours in a week to get the work done, then spend 50 hours at work. When you leave the store, make sure to leave it at work. After work, you need to be a family. This is crucial if both the business and family are going to be successful.

Payroll

If you have sons and daughters that work for you, make sure that you have a payroll system in place to pay them, as they are employees of the business. They should be paid just like employees at any other company. They are entitled to reviews and pay increases. Be fair, but be fiscally responsible. Just because Johnny wants a new set of wheels for his car, doesn’t mean that he should get a bonus from the business to do it. If he has earned it, then he should get it.

Balance of power and duties

In every business, someone has to be the boss. In a family business, this should be the person who has the most experience in the industry. Then there are the employees. If everyone in the family takes equal responsibility in the business, then the work load will be spread evenly. No one will be left doing the lionshare of the work. But the boss has to make all the important decisions. This can be done alone or by committee. As long as everyone has a job to do, and they do it well, all will be good.

Reap the benefits and share the rewards

Businesses that are successful will share the profits with their employees. If the business has a windfall, be sure to enjoy the benefit of this. The whole idea of having your own business is to make money for yourself. You must take advantage of this. If the business is new, and you want to reinvest the profits back into your business, that is your prerogative. Just make sure that everyone is in agreement to this. A bonus system should be set up to reward your family for their hard work and devotion.

Whatever the business you have or desire to have, a family can run it together. It takes a lot of time and effort, but what venture doesn’t? The family itself will be closer and stronger, bringing a deeper sense of loyalty for each other. If a large corporation can do it, calling its employees family, think of how much better it can be if it was actually a real family.