Marijuana Business Magazine October 2018

THREE TIPS FOR WORKINGWITH FAMILY Q uentin J. Fleming - an author, university professor andmanagement consultant who specializes in working with family businesses - has never worked with a family in the cannabis business. Still, Fleming believes family members can growtheir marijuana businesses professionally and profitably by following his universal advice. “The whole premise of my book is that the real challenges have nothing to do with the type of business but with the family issues that come into play day by day,” said Fleming, author of “Keep the Family Baggage Out of the Family Business.” One common thread that Fleming has found workingwith Fortune 500 companies andmid- size family-owned operations is that no one ever intentionally increases the stress levels of other family members. It just happens, said Fleming, who also is an adjunct professor of managerial decision- making and strategic planning at the Univer- sity of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business. “Nothing is ever malicious about it,” Fleming said. “Whatever happens in the family replays itself in the business. These can be ingrained habits that you have to overcome.” Fleming said he has seen it take as long as a year for familymembers in business to change their habits and work together as a team. Following are three tips fromFleming on how to avoid hurt feelings when family members work together: Parents, treat your children like partners, not kids It can be difficult for parents “who used to change your diapers” to treat their children as business partners, Fleming said. Oneway to get over that hurdle: Remember that if you don’t respect your children’s input thewayyouwould someonewho is not a familymember, “your kids won’t get the full value of your knowledge and experience,” Fleming noted. Also, youmight find that your children have better insights into things like technology and social media than you do. Don’t call familymembers “dad” or “honey” You should not call your father “dad” while at work, especially in front of staffmembers, Fleming said. “Keep in mind that other people who work at your business can’t call a family member ‘dad’ or say, ‘Hey, honey, can you come over here for a second?’” Don’t be afraid to ask for help “One of the issues I faced when I was writing my book is that all of these people were telling me all of these problems they were having with their family members at work, and I wasn’t trained as a family therapist,” he said. In fact, the owners of Verdes Foundation, amed- ical marijuana dispensary in Albuquerque, New Mexico, areworkingwith a professional relationship counselor and highly recommend that others in the business follow their lead. Fleming said family members in the marijuana industry could also tap other resources for help. “They should check with nearby universities and colleges that often will provide workshops or guest speakerswho can give advice on everything from how family members can avoid emotions with each other at work to how to best structure family finances,” he said. Family members working together could also check to see if their local Chamber of Commerce or business associations offer similar programs to members, Fleming added. And because the marijuana industry is such a tight-knit community, Fleming noted, it could help to put out feelers to see if other competitors and peers would like to meet occasionally to discuss best practices for dealing with family members in a work environment Fleming also couldn’t resist this bit of marijuana- related advice: “It may be bad humor, but one idea might be to sample your own product. That might calm things down a bit.” – John Rebchook Quentin J. Fleming is an author, college professor and consultant who specializes in working with family businesses. Photo courtesy of Quentin J. Fleming Quentin J. Fleming says tips he outlines in his book would apply to all businesses, including family members working together in the marijuana space. Photo courtesy of Quentin J. Fleming 50 • Marijuana Business Magazine • October 2018