I overheard an interesting conversation yesterday while walking the floor of the ICCFA exhibit hall.
A funeral home owner called to check on her funeral home. While on the phone she said “are you getting along with your brother?”.
When she hung up she said, “the only thing I worry about when we go out of town is if my two sons (who are left in charge of the funeral home) are getting along.”
In many family businesses there are rivalries that can cause major problems. This is very common if the funeral profession as well. But it might not always be a sibling rivalry, there are also major conflicts that can occur between parent and child. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard “I just wish my Dad would retire already.”
Last week on the Discovery Health show “Funeral Boss” we got an inside look at how sibling and parent conflicts can escalate when they are confined to a daily routine of working side by side. The clip above is a promo for the episode but it gives you a clear view into how the episode played out.
When you watch this clip how many of your are having deja vu?
What has your experience been with sibling rivalries and parent/child conflicts in the funeral home? How has it affected the day to day operations of the business or even the long term success of the funeral home?
To some extent, I have watched the Harris siblings grow up. I think they are a close knit family and get along with each other very well. At time, they have their differences but I do not know of any family that doesn’t. Do you?