Tips for a Young Upstart in a Stodgy Family Business
It’s not easy getting complacent teammates on board with big shifts
Jessica Powell, the former Google vice president who wrote The Big Disruption and told you how to quit your job, is here to answer your common, but often tricky work questions. Check back every other week for more management advice with a tech inflection.
I work at my family’s publishing company. Initially, I was very excited to be a part of it, as I was expecting I’d get to learn business management with and from mentors such as my father, who is a company director. But over time, I have realized that the vision I have of how our company should grow is not shared by the other directors, who are okay with the status quo. How do I communicate that if we don’t follow through with growth plans, we may see declining business in the face of increased market competition?
Do you perhaps work for Logan Roy on the HBO show Succession?
I’ve never worked in publishing, but I’ve seen variations of this question from people working in multiple industries. Even without the family element, it’s a pretty common problem: A majority of the decision-makers at your company are committed to a vision that doesn’t seem fruitful to you, and you want to shift them to a more successful strategy.
