On this episode of Management Muse we talk to the extraordinary family therapist Larry Allman. Since no one can fully separate home from work, it’s important for managers to know strategies for building strong families.

Home problems create work issues and vice versa, so it’s prudent to think through pitfalls and obstacles to building resilient, thriving families. Master mentor Larry Allman helps us maintain families that last.

Episode Highlights:

• Larry proposes that organizations are not only hiring the individual but should provide something for the family so they feel nurtured by the institution.

• Managers need to remember that employees are people with feelings and families, and those feelings and families will impact how employees interact with others.

• How you interact with your family impacts how you interact with your employees.

• A compassionate work environment leads to healthier employees.

• Managers need to identify why they are having a strong reaction to others. Self-reflection is key to improving relationships.

Quotes:

“If people can't resolve differences with their family, they're probably going to have trouble resolving conflict at work.” – Larry Allman

“Anybody who believes that family life doesn't impact work performance hasn't ever been at work.” – Geoffrey Tumlin

“There’s no such thing as a normal family. Everybody's struggling with family issues, everybody.” – Larry Allman

Resources:

David Cantor (2012). Reading the Room. Hoboken, NJ: Jossey-Bass.

Jennis T. Jaffe (2020). Borrowed from your Grandchildren. New York: Wiley.

George E. Valliant (2015). Triumphs of Experience. Boston: Belknap Press.

Daniel Goleman (2005). Emotional Intelligence. New York: Random House.

James S. Gordon (2019). The Transformation. San Francisco: HarperOne.

Key words: Family resilience, boundaries, performance, work-life balance