Blog
Insights, tools, and training straight from the team at Compass Point
BLOG | LEADERSHIP
Unequivocal Responsibility OR Something Less
Unequivocal responsibility-taking does not come naturally. True, we have an innate sense of when we’ve harmed others – the conscience inevitably pricks at us. However, we all also have an ingrained tendency to seek escape from consequences and accountability. We know what we should do, what we need to do, and yet we flee from it.
Read Post
BLOG | CUSTOMER
How Family Businesses Can Navigate Post-COVID Challenges
“In quiet and untroubled times, it seems to every administrator that it is only by his efforts that the whole population under his rule is kept going..."
Read Post
BLOG | FAMILY DYNAMICS / GOVERNANCE
Becoming a Family Business: This Firm Lives What They Teach
You may know the man in the photo as Tom Garrity, Founder of Compass Point, a family business consulting firm in Southeastern PA, headquartered in the Lehigh Valley; I know him as my inspiration, mentor, confidante, tennis partner, and best of all – my dad. This blog marks...
Read Post
BLOG | LEADERSHIP
Cracking The Culture Code for Business and Leadership Strategy
Discover how business and leadership intersect in Daniel Coyle's "The Culture Code," offering insights into building successful organizations. I recently asked the LinkedIn community what book most closely aligns with your leadership identity...
Read Post
BLOG | FAMILY DYNAMICS / GOVERNANCE
The 4-Letter Word Owners Can’t Afford NOT to Talk About: EXIT
I’ve had my share of family business owners who avoid discussing this four-letter word to the point of pure denial, quickly ending the conversation when this word bubbles up. The word? E-X-I-T. It sounds so final. The brutal truth is that 100% of owners exit the business, yet only 50% – just 1 out of 2 owners – will do it on their terms...
Read Post
BLOG | LEADERSHIP
Family Business Peer Groups are Gamechangers for the Next Gen
Many family-led companies hire business consultants to grow the business. Some even send their emerging leaders to personal development programs. But there is a gap – and it’s a BIG one.
Read Post
BLOG | PEOPLE / TALENT
Unlocking the Golden 5% in Your Employees
The Golden 5% is the full expression of our ability, multiplied by our maximum possible effort, multiplied by our full contribution of heart. It is the performance equivalent of what we offer in a deeply loving relationship – the absolute best of ourselves. And yet, we rarely give it or reliably inspire the giving of it by others in organizations. Why?
Read Post
BLOG | FAMILY DYNAMICS / GOVERNANCE
Business Issues: Identify and solve, or they could cost you.
Part of the challenge in a family business, or any business for that matter, is that the world does not stop and allow you to pursue your strategy in a nice, orderly fashion. Whether it is internal or external, business issues pop up throughout the day. So how do you prevent issues from derailing the company’s progress? Here are a few ideas for minimizing their occurrence and how to deal with them effectively when they do happen.
Read Post
BLOG | PEOPLE / TALENT
How to Coach (or deal with) a Negative Employee
As a leader, it is more likely that you’ll manage a negative employee or situation than not. Whether it is a short-lived instance or a long term issue, it can be manageable with candid conversations. Here are a few steps that work well to address and remedy the situation: Unearth the problem...
Read Post
BLOG | FAMILY DYNAMICS / GOVERNANCE
The Many Facets of Ownership
In 1978 the 2-circle illustration of family business evolved when Harvard business professor Renato Tagiuri and then-graduate student John Davis added a third circle – Ownership – to better account for the distinct groups that existed in a family business. With the addition of Ownership, the 3-circle model more accurately captured the seven facets of ownership.
Read Post
BLOG | LEADERSHIP
Leadership Is Not What You Think
When I first started Compass Point 20 years ago, leadership was an ancillary topic. My work focused on the systems, financials, hiring the right people, and being a confidant to the owner. At the time I didn’t see it as leadership coaching, but rather as building a relationship with a client who trusted me enough to let me see the inner workings of their mind and business. I helped the person as I helped the business. Times – and leadership – have changed.
Read Post
BLOG | OWNER FINANCIAL GAP
It’s The Simple Math That Doesn’t Get Done
Family business owners are passionate about what they do. They’re working to carry on a business that family built – by their parents, grandparents, sometimes even great-grandparents and beyond. These owners are so busy providing for their employees, communities, and the next generation that they often ignore their own financial future. Boiling it down to its true essence, business is a means to building wealth. And what are we supposed to do with that wealth?
Read Post
BLOG | LEADERSHIP
The Many Hats of a Family Business
Product. Team. Customers. Processes. Sales. Revenue. Profit. Cash. These are the elements to any good, viable business. But a family business needs more than just those elements to build a sustainable family business. With many dynamics at play, the business owner needs to understand which "hat" to wear, when to wear it, and when to switch. Do you know how to manage it all?
Read PostWhere Family Businesses Come to Grow & Learn
At Compass Point, we make it easy to get insights, training, tools, and articles straight to your inbox and help family business owners and their team continue to grow, learn, and lead.