Ask family businesses – or any businesses, for that matter – what could be improved, and increasingly culture is at the top of their list.

“This is a hot topic for our members,” said Stephanie Larscheid, executive director of the Prairie Family Business Association.

“We keep hearing from family businesses about the need to enhance their culture to support their workforce needs, so that’s why we reached out to include Think 3D in multiple upcoming programs we’re hosting.”

Based in Sioux Falls, Think 3D Solutions, a business management consulting firm, helps businesses build intentional cultures through coaching, consulting and leadership development. It was founded by Tamien Dysart and Vaney Hariri in 2016.

Vaney Hariri

“Culture is universal,” Dysart said. “But in the last several months, we’ve had many family businesses reach out to us, so we’re getting more acclimated with their unique challenges.”

Businesses will have two upcoming opportunities to connect with Think 3D.

An hourlong Prairie Family Business webinar at 10 a.m. April 1 will cover four pillars of family business culture:

• Culture
• Self – personal growth
• Skills
• Accountability

First-time guests also are welcome as attendees. Click here to learn more and register.

The conversation will continue at the 2022 Prairie Family Business Association annual conference April 28-29 in Sioux Falls, where Think 3D will host a breakout session.

The conference is sold out for in-person registration, but you still can register for virtual attendance.

We sat down with Dysart for a closer look at the issues businesses are facing around culture and how they are tackling them.

Tamien Dysart

You’ve said a lot of businesses are trying to figure out what it takes to be successful as a 21st century organization. What does that look like within a family business?

A lot of family businesses are dealing with the same mindset of transitioning the company. You might have a parent that’s started it now transitioning to a new generation, and the issues aren’t all that different from other businesses working through changes in their workforce. Culture has been a buzzword for the last decade, but it’s never been as important as it is now. It’s the foundation to everything. A culture will emerge whether intended or not, but if it’s not one you’ve invested in, it’s going to be one you pay for. You can’t “catch up” on culture. It takes time, and that’s part of making the investment. We’ll share some examples from clients and things they’ve done to invest in ways that are making a difference.

What emerging issues are you hearing from family businesses?

A lot of issues related to transition. Maybe Dad stuck around a long time and ran the business and was in the trenches and worked hard, and now the second generation is there, and employees aren’t perceiving them as having the same work ethic, and it’s creating issues around culture. Many of these organizations have hidden issues. We do an employee engagement survey, and people are honest, and they’re telling leadership in some cases that they’re the problem. We’re finding we’re needing to spend a lot of one-on-one time with leaders to work through some of these things.

Leadership plays a key role in driving culture, and candidly many leaders know they need to focus on it and are on the verge of burnout themselves from the challenges of the past couple of years. How do you suggest addressing that?

It’s very true. We see it in the numbers. We’re the most developed nation in the world, and we have the most anxiety and depression. Among leaders, many haven’t reached full burnout yet, but they can see it. How long can they sustain? And there doesn’t appear to be an end in sight. So for a lot of people, we’re doing small group and executive coaching. You’re a person too. You have to make sure you’re being invested into because if you’re showing up at 70 percent and just holding on, you don’t have as much to give. So you have to make sure you’re starting out every day being better for yourself. You’re a person too, and that’s what a lot of these leaders have missed.

What are some key takeaways you try to leave with businesses?

We want you to look at what you’re truly doing to build a culture. One of our core pillars at Think 3D is to be somebody you want to go through life with. The average working professional spends between 50 to 75 percent of their waking hours going to work or thinking about work. When you think about all that time and energy spent around work, you see these people more than your best friend and maybe more than your kids and spouse. So what characteristics and traits do you want to be around? We need to be developing the human side of relationships. People need to feel invested into and cared for beyond just as an employee. That will get them to stay longer and work differently.

The best organizations really have what we call an 80-20 culture. In that, 80 percent is set – mission, vision, values – but there’s 20 percent that’s an aggregate of the people who make it up. If you have new people come into the organization, your culture will change a bit. Think of it as every day, every employee is given a log to put on a fire. You choose what fire to put it on – healthy or toxic – and whichever burns brighter wins out. Which one are you choosing? It’s everyone taking responsibility and realizing we all have a say and every day I walk in I choose how I’m contributing to culture.

Click here to connect with the Prairie Family Business Association’s 2022 conference.