I’m an only child. I have two step brothers but until they came around, it was the Jeff Gibbard Show!
Side note: some might argue that I still think it’s the Jeff Gibbard Show
I had/have my mom and my dad. And for the earliest part of my life, my grandfather was still around. No aunts, no uncles, no cousins. Some of those exist, but I would struggle to tell you their names as they were far away and we were not close.
These days, I watch out for my mom. I help her manage various struggles that she’s going through. It’s tough because I’m also in my late 30’s and trying to grow a company. Time is limited and this responsibility falls on me entirely.
My girlfriend has a huge family. She’s got a sister, a half brother, a bunch of cousins, mom and dad, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Family events are big. Anytime there’s is a celebration–a graduation, birthday, holiday, etc–almost everyone shows up in full force. If someone is moving, sick, or in need of help–there is a small army in the wings ready to jump into action.
I have a client that is a family business. Three brothers and their father run the company. They work well together, and they respect each other. They serve as a great example to their team about how to work together.
But beyond their relationship, they see the concept of a family business even more broadly: they see their employees as family, and they relate to them as family. Even more, they see their clients as family and see it as their responsibility to protect them as they do their own family.
Family isn’t about sharing a bloodline. My stepmother and I share no relatives in common but she is among the most important family that I have. She would sacrifice for me as my own mother would and I would do the same for her.
Likewise, most clients, co-workers, partners and friends are not related. But what if this concept of family–the innate sense of responsibility to watch out for and care for one another–extended to those relationships too?
Familial bonds are among the strongest bonds that human beings know…I think we may be underutilizing that instinct.
My challenge to you: see your clients and your team as family for one week. Operate from your best familial instincts, not the family squabbling type. Look for the protective family instinct. Look for the sense of responsibility. Look for the willingness to have difficult conversations because the bond can survive it.
Let me know how it goes.