Column Judith Witte: Building the future

The emotions in our small family business called "family" regularly ran high this spring. The Jumbo commercial on TV was all too recognizable. "I'm getting too old for midterms week," sighs the mother at the end of the commercial. Replace "midterms week" with exams/graduation, multiply that by three, and you'll find yourself in my house. 

Generation Z is building its future, but ... what will it bring? What will life look like after exams? A lot is definitely going to change. And that's not easy; change is exciting, but often also hurts (a little). The fear of pain is what keeps change from happening. 

One afternoon during those hectic spring weeks, I interviewed four directors about their construction project(s). All are "at the top" of a family business. All are searching, often with a brother, sister, cousin or team, for the balance between entrepreneurship, professionalism and care. Family businesses have a reputation for being somewhat conservative and cautious. The companies you'll read about in the June issue, story after story, show a different side. They want to grow, build, improve, renovate. But they do so step by step. After all, their family business must remain healthy. They feel a great responsibility to take their business to the next generation in a good and sustainable manner. And not just for a bright future for their own children. They also care for their staff - and their families. And even wider: for all future generations. By not wanting to plunder. But by building sustainably. 

Just like those bustling companies, my family culture demands renewal. The foundation is solid, but the created patterns built on it now require renovation. Our new generation needs less and less support and backing up. How we do that is changing. We are making new arrangements together, creating new contexts. Change may hurt a little, but it is also exciting and fun. 

Because where there is construction, there are openings. Where there are exams, there are graduations. I am looking forward to the parties we are going to build this summer.

Judith Witte

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