The Path: Reflections from Our First Cohort
Our next guided cohort starts very soon, so I thought I would reflect on the first ever one we ran last September.
In family business, we spend a lot of time on structures, policies and procedures that govern the system as a whole. Much less on the individuals that make up the system. And yet it’s the individuals who carry the weight of it all.
That’s where The Path came from.
What it is
A small, guided cohort for people in family enterprises. Eight weekly sessions exploring mindfulness and reflecting on how we approach work and home life.
Each week there’s a theme and we provide some specific guidance to help prepare for our sessions. Then we come together for discussion and reflection.
The sessions are led by Martin Stepek. Martin has taught mindfulness for years and comes from a family business background himself. He brings a calm, steady presence to the sessions.
It’s deliberately small. Part course, part conversation. No tests, no right answers. Just a group of people who understand the particular nature of family business life, meeting regularly and speaking openly.
Why it matters
Governance helps, of course. But it’s not the whole picture.
Family enterprises work better when the individuals within them are aligned, both with themselves and with one another. When there’s some clarity about purpose and when communication is thoughtful and considered rather than reactive.
In one session we explored personal purpose alongside business purpose. One member reflected that they’d never really paused to consider whether what they wanted for themselves actually aligned with the direction they were helping to set for the company.
It’s a simple question to ask but not an easy one to consider.
If you long for more time with family or space to pursue interests outside the business, yet you keep making decisions that increase business pressures, there’s a quiet misalignment happening. It might not show itself dramatically. It may just feel like ongoing strain.
These things are rarely noticed without deliberately taking time to reflect.
Mindfulness
At its simplest, mindfulness is paying attention, with purpose, in the present moment and without judging what you find.
In family business life, there is baggage. Conversations are layered with history. Expectations run deep and pressure is often there but not openly acknowledged.
It’s easy to react, to speak quickly, to default to tried and tested ways of doing things.
The Path introduces a small pause. Sometimes that pause is enough to change the tone of a conversation, or the direction of a decision.
What stood out
Looking back, what stands out most is the gradual openness that developed.
At first, people were understandably cautious. As weeks passed, they began to speak more honestly. About difficult conversations with siblings or parents. About tension between personal plans and business expectations. About the challenge of giving themselves permission to take time for themselves.
Each week we asked two simple questions.
When were you mindful this week, and how did it go?
When were you not mindful, and how did that go?
There was often humour in the responses. People recognised familiar patterns in themselves. Rushing, overreacting, avoiding awkward conversations. They also spoke about moments where they’d been more deliberate. A walk appreciating nature. Time focused on children. A new approach to a conversation.
Those involved said that the weekly session became a time truly set aside for reflection. Two hours where they weren’t solving problems or carrying responsibility. Simply pausing.
We think that is significant.
A quiet question to consider
When were you mindful this past week? And when were you not?
Slowing down can feel uncomfortable. Yet it may be one of the more important things we can practise.
