Have you ever noticed that family conflict seems to surface more around the Holidays than at any other time of year? For many families, Thanksgiving is a time to gather together, share a meal and renew family ties. Unfortunately for others, it’s an opportunity...
Recently, Margaret Wilson appeared on Java with Jim Ries, Director of Business Development at Offit | Kurman to discuss the origin of Tandem Partners and its dedication to helping families, owners and businesses in transition....
You were born with your IQ, and you’ve developed your EQ, but how would you rate your PQ? IQ, or Intelligence Quotient, is a number resulting from one of several standardized tests. IQ is used to assess someone’s cognitive ability as compared to the population...
6 Keys to Making it Work - Sigmund Freud famously said that “Love and work are the cornerstones of our humanness.” And most people would agree: Having love and doing meaningful work are deeply connected to our satisfaction in life. But how do you manage...
Back when our daughter was a junior in college, she came home one weekend and announced that she’d missed the deadline for on-campus housing assignments and would have to find an apartment. (Oops. Sorry Mom and Dad.) Her parents (us) had equally strong, but...
“I’ve owned 400 to 500 stocks in my lifetime and made most of my money on 10 of them.” – Warren Buffett It’s a well-known fact in the investing world that the lion’s share of results will come from a small percentage of investments. In statistics,...
Ask most Copreneurs if they have and use written job descriptions and many will say, “Not really. We like to keep things pretty informal around here.” In fact, many founder-entrepreneurs pride themselves on the informality that often goes hand in hand with early stage...
Did you know that nearly a quarter of the U.S. workforce spends part of each day working at home? Commutes are longer, offices are smaller and technology is better – all contributing to the number of people who work from home at least part of the time....
At the end of a trip to Utah last fall, we flew home to Maryland via Las Vegas. While we were in the neighborhood, we thought we’d check out a show. We understand now why Cirque du Soleil is always sold out. It’s because...
In the early years of a committed relationship, all couples have to learn to make adjustments. Reality turns out to be different than our expectations. Quirks we hadn’t noticed in the dreamy days of dating start to drive us nuts. The two of us...
Long before there was Dr. Seuss, there was Tom Brown. In 1680, young Tom Brown was expelled from Oxford University for mischief making, and in response, he wrote this now famous nursery rhyme: I do not like thee, Doctor Fell; The reason why, I cannot...
It has been famously said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Take a second to think about that. Who you spend time with can lift you up as much as it can bring you down. We...
Early in our careers, there was a time when we both worked in CPA firms – Ron in auditing and Margaret in marketing. Our kids were six and three at the time and the “busy season” between January and April just about crushed our...
Years ago when our son was in high school, he spent a large part of every week night working on math problems, which were not exactly his favorite thing to do. One night he came downstairs to the living room where Margaret was reading. “Hey...
Show of hands: Who loves a good TED talk? Or should we ask, who doesn’t love a good TED talk? Over the years, we’ve watched dozens of talks online and even attended a few regional TEDx conferences in person. Whether it’s learning about the...
*Hustle Sold Separately That’s not just a catchy slogan to inspire you to reach for the stars. And this isn’t a speech to remind you it’ll all be worth it when you’re working 16 hours a day. This is a short story about Dreaming and...
Three stories in which something went wrong, but something bigger went right It’s never fun being sick with the flu, but if you’re down for the count anyway, binge-watching episodes of “Mad Men,” isn’t a bad way to pass the time. (Not that we’re, ahem,...
When business couples talk about their “communication problems,” often what they’re really referring to is what happens when they have a disagreement. They haven’t practiced the skills of fighting fair or learned how to “disagree agreeably,” as the saying goes. It’s been a long time...
Every year, millions of tourists visit the legendary corner of Hollywood & Vine. They expect to see a tree-lined street filled with beautiful shops and movie stars. They are almost always disappointed. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is still in the intersection, but not...
Legendary investor Warren Buffett is known for placing pearls of wisdom in his annual letter to shareholders. These often reflect his practical, down-to-earth attitude. We’ve adapted some of his advice for Copreneurs. Keep calm in the face of volatility – Big rewards are often...
Adding another dish to our buffet of Buffetts, we’re sharing some pearls of wisdom for Copreneurs from singer-songwriter/philosopher-entrepreneur Jimmy Buffett – aka Mr. Margaritaville. Just do it – as Jimmy said: “Indecision may or may not be my problem.” It’s tempting to mull over...
When it comes to business couples and communication, a little structure goes a long way. Running a business can be stressful and if you’re going to make it a success, you’ve got to stay in sync. But with everything you’ve got going on, it...
When our kids were young, they loved to read all kinds of books. In one phase, they just couldn’t get enough of the Berenstain Bears, a series (written by Copreneurs Stan and Jan Berenstain) featuring a grizzly bear family learning life lessons in everyday...
Stories differ on whether it was Mark Twain or Andrew Carnegie who said: “Put all your eggs in one basket – and then watch that basket!” That was a tongue-in-cheek twist on the old saying about not putting all your eggs in one basket...
Early in our business lives, we adopted the mantra “Think – Plan – Do.” It has long been a reminder to us to dream big, plan ahead and execute well. In that order. But sometimes, we find ourselves thinking up good ideas, and then...
At the end of every year, we take some time to work on our long-range plans. We get away from the office to review the year, including our successes and disappointments. We share goals for ourselves, our family, our business and as a couple....
We’ve just taken down the Holiday decorations and packed them safely away for another year. The last to be wrapped in tissue is always our Golden Retriever-slash-Angel tree topper in memory of Max, a sweet girl who was part of our family for almost...
Most leaders accept that at some time in the future, their time at the helm will end and the business will be given into the care of the next leader. However, just thinking about the transition can be daunting and overwhelming for the senior leader. If that weren’t enough, most owners experience their own succession just once. Tandem Partners provides the experience and professional guidance needed to move through the strategic, operational and interpersonal issues that are all a part of transition.
When it comes to developing leaders and teams, one size does not fit all. Your business is unique, and has specific strategies and capabilities that drive it forward. We help you identify and develop the specific leadership competencies that make you who you are as an organization and who you’d like to be. We work with leadership teams on the real issues they’re facing now, helping them to see more, be more, do more and lead more effectively, together.
For families in business, success is not just measured in fiscal years, but over generations. Yet often, leaders are so focused on the day-to-day that they aren’t able to step back and focus on the issues that impact long-term sustainability. We help leadership teams assess where they are now, where they’re trying to go and how they’re going to get there. Our expertise in the areas of organizational strategy, structure, process and performance is a unique feature of our work, and integral to our transition management approach.
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