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Business isn't the place for bedtime stories. The comforting narratives that make our kids feel good don't belong in the boardroom. If you expect everything to work out neatly, with everyone playing their part perfectly, you're in the wrong place. Success isn't about believing in fairy tales; it's about facing reality, making tough decisions, and enjoying the pleasure of getting results.
The sooner we stop telling ourselves bedtime stories, the sooner we'll start achieving what matters.
Recently, I worked with a team entrenched in a familiar bedtime story: the belief that their company was a "family." While appealing, this notion can be detrimental in a business context. Rather than fostering unity, the "family" mindset often leads to confusion and dysfunction. Remembering that a business isn't a family is crucial, and pretending it is can have serious repercussions.
This team had inherited the "family" mindset from previous leadership. It was comforting but ignored the hard truths like all bedtime stories. When you see everyone as a family, you overlook poor performance, excuse unprofessional behaviour, and avoid tough decisions. After all, you don't fire your brother for missing a deadline, right?
Business isn't about family loyalty; it's about results. Clinging to the "family" narrative can drag down performance. In a real family, you might tolerate laziness or drama because, well, they're family. In a company, these dynamics are toxic.
High-performing teams thrive on merit, accountability, and clear expectations, not unconditional love.
The 'family' narrative can also be a tool for exploitation. Leaders might use it to guilt employees into working late, staying quiet, or putting the company's needs above their own. 'We're family' becomes a way to suppress dissent and enforce conformity. A healthy business respects individual boundaries and encourages open communication without making employees feel they're betraying the 'family.'
And let's be honest: not all families are happy. Many are dysfunctional, with unresolved conflicts and simmering resentments. Bringing that dynamic into the workplace only makes things worse. Unaddressed issues fester, eroding trust and effectiveness over time.
It's time to stop telling ourselves bedtime stories about business. Let's wake up and face the reality: business isn't about fairy tales; it's about hard work, tough choices, authentic and challenging conversations and enjoying real results. Stop pretending your team is a family. Start treating them like what they are: professionals working together toward a common goal. When we do that, we'll not only succeed more, but we'll also be more fulfilled.
Because, in the end, the stories we tell ourselves define what we do.