Family businesses are often characterised by strong family ties, a long-term perspective, and a deep commitment to their values and community. One aspect of family businesses that is often overlooked is the potential for cross-pollination, and the real magic that can come from it.

For those unfamiliar with the term ‘cross-pollination’ in the context of business, it refers to the sharing of ideas, knowledge and expertise between those working within a business, different departments within a business or different businesses within a group.

In our experience of working with family businesses, the opportunities for cross pollination often exist around the openness to/combining of ideas, the sharing of knowledge and honest, transparent communication between family members. There are many factors that might inhibit this in family businesses where multiple family members hold positions; an assumed awareness of what fellow family members do or think, a reluctance to tread on toes or cause friction, an unwillingness to hand over the reins  – the list goes on.

In this article, we look at the key benefits of cross-pollination in family businesses and provide our tips on how to make it happen.

Our Top 4 benefits of Cross Pollination in Family Businesses:

1. Increased Innovation: When family members from different parts of the business come together and share their perspectives and experiences, it can lead to new and innovative ideas. This can help the business stay relevant to its customer base and adapt to the speed of change happening within their sector.
2. Improved Efficiency: cross-pollination can also lead to improved efficiency. When family members share their knowledge and expertise, they can identify areas where processes could be streamlined, and cost savings identified.
3. Enhanced Collaboration: cross-pollination can improve collaboration between different parts of the business. Family members who have a better understanding of each other’s roles and responsibilities are more likely to work together effectively.
4. Better Succession Planning: cross-pollination can also be helpful in succession planning. When family members have a broader understanding of the business, they are better equipped to step into leadership roles when the time comes.

Our Top 4 tips for encouraging Cross Pollination in Family Businesses:

1. Encourage Communication: Encourage family members from different parts of the business to communicate regularly. This could be done through a regular meeting, event, or even informal get-togethers.
2. Provide Opportunities for Learning: Make time for family members to learn about different parts of the business through job shadowing or individual training sessions.
3. Embrace Diversity: Having a diverse workforce from different backgrounds with varied experiences and perspectives helps to build a more resilient business. Many family business leaders also look from the support of a board of directors (if they have one), a peer group of like-minded businesspeople, or from outside help from coaches and facilitators.
4. Create a Culture of Collaboration: Encouraging family members and your business leadership teams to work together on projects and to share ideas and experiences. This will not only be beneficial for them, but it will also set an example to the rest of the employees and encourage a better culture of collaboration.

Overall, encouraging and adopting the method of cross-pollination can be a powerful tool for family businesses. By sharing ideas, perspectives, encouraging knowledge sharing and expertise between family members, business departments and externally, you should expect to see increased innovation, improved efficiency, enhanced collaboration, and be better prepared for changes within the business, such as succession. We have seen many great examples of family businesses who have been able to create a culture of collaboration and it certainly positions them favourably for a more sustainable future.

Let us know your thoughts or experiences of cross pollination within your own family business or examples you know of and are happy to share, by emailing us [email protected]