How do we know if we’re building something that lasts or just getting through the week?
"We feel like we’re constantly working, but we’re not sure we’re making real progress. How do we know if we’re building something that lasts or just getting through the week?”
This is one of the most common reflections I hear from family business clients, and it's an important one. The day-to-day demands of running a business can be relentless. You're supporting staff (or looking for them!), solving problems, responding to customers. But busyness doesn’t always equal progress.
Busy doesn’t always mean forward. It’s easy to get caught in the operational cycle and unintentionally neglect the strategic foundations – succession planning, for example.
Many families talk about succession, but don’t always take the time to ensure the business is actually structured for it. Without clarity around roles, decision-making, governance, or updated agreements, succession can stall. And that’s regardless of how well the family gets along. It is a vital part of building a sustainable, future-focused business… but it often gets pushed aside in favour of the ‘urgent’.
That’s why I encourage families to take time for intentional reflection:
- Where do we want the business and the family to be in five or ten years?
- What kind of legacy are we building, for the next generation and for ourselves?
- Do we have the right structures in place to support the next generation?
The most successful family enterprises I work with make space to step back, realign, and actively shape their future. They’re not just busy (well, they are) – they’re building with clarity, purpose, and continuity in mind.
By South Australian based Family Business Accredited Advisor
Krista Fenix
Associate Director
