51: Communication Dynamics in Business Families

8 snips

Oct 10, 2023

Mike Sargeant, a former BBC correspondent-turned-communication coach, shares his journey from acting to journalism, highlighting how overcoming shyness shaped his career. He reveals how reframing fear into excitement can enhance storytelling, particularly in family businesses. The discussion also covers the importance of listening, building trust, and the power of narratives in nurturing family unity. Sargeant draws on his global experiences, showing that despite cultural differences, shared emotions connect families worldwide.

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ANECDOTE

Mike's Journey from Actor to Journalist

Mike Sargeant began as a shy actor and transitioned to journalism after an internship at CNN.
Acting helped him manage fear and develop stage presence useful in broadcasting and coaching.

INSIGHT

Impact of Journalism's Negativity

Journalism exposed Mike to relentless negativity impacting mental health and worldview.
He chose to leave to foster positivity by helping others tell positive stories and build things.

ADVICE

Building Trust in Family Businesses

Build trust with business families by doing small initial projects and treating each individual uniquely.
Take relationships slowly to gain deeper insight and confidence from family members.

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Introduction

Welcome to Let’s Talk Family Enterprise, a podcast that explores the ideas, concepts, and models that best serve Family Enterprise Advisors in supporting their clients.

All views, information, and opinions expressed during this podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Family Enterprise Canada.

This month, we welcome Family Business Member, FEA and Family Enterprise Foundation Board Member, Ambreen Bhaloo, as guest host of our podcast. Ambreen welcomes Mike Sargeant, former BBC Correspondent, Speaker and Coach to talk about the lessons of high impact communication and listening, drawing on his experiences working in dozens of countries over 25 years, from war zones to Westminster to corporate boardrooms. Enjoy this engaging conversation!

Guest bio

Mike Sergeant is a former BBC TV correspondent who helps people become better communicators, giving them clarity and confidence. Mike’s speeches, workshops, and coaching sessions distill the lessons of high-impact communication, drawing on his experiences in dozens of countries over 25 years from war zones to Westminster to corporate boardrooms.

You can learn more about Mike Sergeant on his website and LinkedIn.

Guest host bio

Ambreen Bhaloo is 2nd generation of an enterprising family and understands first-hand the complex and competing demands of family, business/management, and ownership. She lives in Toronto with her three children. Ambreen holds an honors degree from Western University and a Master’s in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a Certified Co-Active Professional Coach (CPCC) and a Family Enterprise Advisor (FEA).

You can learn more about Ambreen Bhaloo on her website and LinkedIn.

Key Takeaways

[:26] Guest host Ambreen Bhaloo introduces herself and welcomes Mike Sergeant to the podcast for a discussion on communication in business families.

[1:58] Mike shares his story into journalism, some of his most spectacular pieces, and how acting gave him a solid foundation to better communicate.

[4:11] Fear or excitement, Mike offers his perspective on an often vilified emotion, even in the midst of a war zone.

[6:06] From journalist to organisation, governmental, and business family coach, Mike shares the skills that he found useful in this transition.

[7:47] Mike’s tips for building trust and confidence in new client families and how trust leads to better working relationships.

[10:40] What the generational wealth transfer coming in the next few years heralds as opportunities and challenges.

[12:33] Mike explains how family narrative can help build better communication and purpose.

[15:30] Step by step, what does it take to build a proper narrative? Mike shares critical aspects of storytelling.

[18:45] Taking the time to analyze family stories can build a broader understanding of the overarching family story.

[20:33] Each family is different and each family business is run differently; this means that storytelling will have varying degrees of intimacy.

[22:11] House of Gucci.

[24:38] The generational wealth transfer is also a value transfer. Mike offers that the upcoming gen needs to evaluate what they want to keep and change.

[26:56] After travelling the world, Mike offers the similarities and differences he has found within business families.

[28:56] Mike shares his reading recommendation as well as his advice for advisors.

[31:25] Ambreen thanks Mike for joining the podcast and sharing so much of his knowledge and experience, and signs off until next month.

If you enjoyed today’s episode, you can subscribe to Let’s Talk Family Enterprise on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other podcast apps. Please remember to share this episode with family, friends, and colleagues. Share your thoughts with us at fea@familyenterprise.ca.

Mentioned in this episode

The Let’s Talk Family Enterprise podcast is brought to you by Family Enterprise Canada.

Fear Less: Face Not-Good-Enough to Replace Your Doubts, Achieve Your Goals, and Unlock Your Success, by Dr. Pippa Grange

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