I'm using you two as inspiration. I've got the crusty curmudgeon part down, but I haven't managed to get my boy out from under my thumb yet.
Well. I know my Dad and me are a lot alike. That really makes it tough. If you want your son to take more of a role in the business , you have to let him try out some of his ideas. The problem with the Father-Son dynamic is that a father is always the father. And being a good dad means that you want to help your children avoid mistakes. So if a business choice seems like a bad decision it's hard to yield to that.
My brothers and myself were all raised to be self confident. I was taught that you can figure anything out. Never to be intimidated. We have all been successful because of the traits my father instilled in us.
Ironically those exact traits can cause tension when you are in business with family. Sometimes you have to make your own way. You look back and realize that your were wrong on most things. And worse yet that your father was right. But you make your own way. I am worried by the thought of my son needlessly trudging through problems he could have avoided. But I would rather he go out and try. It's better than a stagnant life under my wing.
So I guess I would say let them go. Let them bill. Listen to marketing ideas that you know will fail. Give out real responsibility. It would be better to see them crash and burn when your around to help than after your gone and no longer able to help them fix it.
What a rant this turned in to.
