Family Business

As is often the case in a family business the parents hold on tight to the decision making responsibilities long past the time those responsibilities were to be past on to their children. One of those children, Sue, asked for a constellation to explore how to best deal with this issue. Her father, we’ll call him, Edward, was open minded about most things and talked about sharing executive responsibilities with his children. However, in practice, he kept a white knuckled grip on any decision of importance. Representatives were set up for the father, Edward, and the daughter, Sue, the other siblings, Sibs, and the business, F.B. After settling into their roles they were asked to move if they felt inspired to. Within a brief time the following arrangement emerged:

* Sibs - * Sue (facing their father side by side)

* Ed (the father facing his children with arms out as if to block their
           access to the business)

* F.B. (the business behind the father)


“Ed” reported that he felt protective of the business. The kids were still kids in his eyes. The other siblings, and to some extent, Sue, felt frustrated with their father. They had paid their dues and it had not been easy. The business felt okay and interested in how things would turn out. Ed was honored by the siblings and Sue as their father and the steward of the family business. His contribution would not be forgotten and he would always have a place of honor both in their hearts and at the company office. Ed’s stance softened. He put his arms down but he still felt protective.

Sue revealed that their family’s business had been founded by Sue’s great grandmother at the beginning of the twentieth century. Her grandfather then ran the business till he passed it on to his son, Sue's father, after he died. Representatives for the great grandmother and the grandfather were placed in the constellation. Ed was asked to face his father. He appeared smaller, as if he was now in the role of being the child who did not have the confidence of his parent. The grandfather turned and faced his mother. He honored her role in founding the business and thanked her for passing it on to him. She handed him a purse (which actually belonged to Sue) to symbolize the responsibility for running the business. The grandfather turned and told the father that here is the responsibility for running the business which I received from my mother. He expressed his confidence in his son and blessed him as he handed him the purse. He and his children would also be good stewards of their family business.

Ed turned now and faced his children. His children moved closer. They honored their great grandmother as the founder of the business and their grandfather and father in turn as the good stewards who modeled how to keep it prosperous for future generations. Ed held out the purse but did not let go of it. He felt better about letting them participate in running the company, but wondered if they could handle all the responsibility by themselves. The children took hold of the purse. They promised to keep an honored place for him in the company. His voice would be heard when any important matter needed to be considered. They asked for his blessing and the opportunity to become the stewards that he had been. Ed blessed his children and slowly let go of the purse.