O artigo: Should You Join the Family Business? (hbr.org) é um guia interessante para orientar as perguntas chave que convém fazer em um processo de transição em uma empresa familiar. Uma conversa franca consigo mesmo e com as lideranças da empresa é parte de um ritual de passagem importantíssimo para situar os desafios, compromissos e maturidade de ambas gerações.

“Questions to ask yourself:

• What is motivating you to join? These could range from “Dad expects me to’’ to “It’s my best shot at the top.’’ There is no one right motivation (and sometimes a few are in play), but what’s important is that you articulate your reasons — and make sure they are good enough to provide a foundation for your decision-making process. Is the source of your motivation coming from your passion for the business, or are you caving into external pressure?
  
• Are the personal relationships among the family leaders healthy enough? Family owners don’t need to always love each other, but they do need to make good decisions together. Do you see evidence that they can make good decisions together about the future of the company? Is there evidence that they will be transparent and constructive with you? Do you think the range of important people (parents, siblings, and cousins) will support you during the inevitable crises that befall every business and career? And in the future, do you think your own relationships in the family can withstand the pressures of working together?
  
• Am I OK being constantly in the spotlight? Nonfamily employees tend to watch family members closely. How you behave will reflect, for better or worse, on the full family. You will be “special” and will never be treated as you would be in an outside corporation. That’s not always an easy thing. And the spotlight doesn’t shut down when you leave the business at night. The standard barriers between your work and your personal life will be blurred, and the scrutiny on how well you are doing will be strong from both sides. Can you live with this?

Questions to ask your family business leader:

• How do you see my career path? You need to understand how your career will develop in the family business. Ask: What thought have you given to how I will grow and develop in the family business? Who will develop and evaluate me? Once I join the family business, is it a “life sentence”? What happens if I don’t work out well in this particular job? And what are your thoughts on how a transition of leadership will work down the line? How will I know I’m succeeding?
  
• Is there a path to ownership? You need to ask, not just assume, where you fit into the business’s current and future ownership structure. Ask: Who owns this business now? What are the plans, if any, to pass ownership to the next generation? How do you imagine you will formally hand off ownership control at some point? Are you considering adding any nonfamily owners? Do I have to work in the business to become a future owner — or benefit from ownership — and will the same rules apply to any other relatives who are considering the same decision I am now? Is there a shareholder’s agreement I can read to understand the rules of ownership?
  
• What is your vision for the company? It’s essential that you understand, and ideally share, the current leadership’s plans for the business. Ask: What do you envision the business will look like in 20 years? Do you want to grow it, milk it for cash, or something in between? What is the company doing now to reinvent itself and stay relevant over the long term? What can I do to help support the company’s future and contribute to its continued success? How do we ensure that our personal relationship stays healthy, no matter how this works out?”