Blue Lake Milling

Industry
Food manufacturing

What generation is your family business?
3rd generation

What is your role in the family business?
Business Development Manager

What is a major influence for you in the family business?
Building a successful and sustainable business for the benefit of my family, our employees, our community and our country.

What do you like most about your family business?
Working with motivated people who are willing to think outside the square and challenge themselves on a daily basis.

What keeps you up at night?
Reading emails from other time zones – which I have to admit is an addiction of mine.

What’s the key benefit of your FBA membership?
Being part of a like minded cohort and sharing the “sensored versions” of family business stories that all seem familiar when you get down to the nitty gritty.
[/special_functionality_column][special_functionality_column lg=”6″ md=”6″ sm=”6″ xs=”12″ ]Darryl Cross

Crossways Consulting
Accredited Adviser

How long have you been working with family businesses?

Since about 2001 when a colleague asked for assistance in relation to a particular rural family.

What’s one of the most common mistakes you see in family businesses?

1. Without doubt, it’s about poor communication that builds up through mis-understanding, not listening, and prior judgments such that anger and resentment build up (“It’s not fair!” “Who do they think they are?” “Of all the nerve!”), egos start to be evident (as demonstrated in the conversations and behavior) so that relationships deteriorate where sometimes individuals in the family business end up not talking to each other, avoiding each other, occasionally argue and at times the business suffers as a result.

2. If individuals have poor emotional intelligence and low self-awareness, then by implication, egos will come out to rule the day which means that people get pushy and dominant, and others therefore get defensive, play favourites, play games, work to hidden agendas and play politics. When the temptation of power and money are intimately part of a family business, it is critical to have a healthy self-esteem and high emotional intelligence (EI) in order to keep things in perspective and not allow the daily issues surrounding power and money to unduly influence operations, procedures and polices. These parameters of good self-esteem and high EI are absolutely essential for the business to function effectively.

What is your “uh ha” moment with your clients? When they realise….

1. That they have different personality types which can be defined and therefore, by implication, don’t always see eye to eye which is actually a positive ingredient having individuals with a range of talents and strengths.

2. That there is a recipe for effective communication that can be learned which allows members to show each other respect by listening to each other.

3. That everyone behaves according to the personal needs that they need satisfying. Being able to identify those needs and how they are being played out for individuals can be enlightening.
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