Working with family can be fraught with emotions and complications. When your manager is also your mother, it can be difficult to keep things professional or get the feedback you need to grow in your role. Before you start your career at the family business, try to work somewhere else first. You’ll improve your judgment, gain invaluable experience, and boost your confidence. When you do start working at the family firm, immediately set boundaries between family time and work time. Letting the two bleed into each another is a recipe for conflict. Ask for candid feedback from someone outside your family, such as an independent board member. And don’t neglect to carve out time for outside interests and relationships. Having a Plan B can be enormously helpful, in case the business – or your place in it – hits tough times.
Adapted from "Keeping It Professional When You Work in a Family Business," by Carolyn O'Hara
