Dr. Davidow's articles are organized here by category. Click each topic below to read relelated articles.
Inter-generational Dynamics/Succession
About TD&A:
By Dennis Warren
Business Leader Post, March 22, 2013
By Hannah Grove Shaw
Hannah Shaw Grove, executive editor of Private Wealth, recently spoke with Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D., founder of consulting firm Thomas D. Davidow & Associates, about his specialty practice helping families increase the success and value of their biggest asset - their privately owned businesses. Private Wealth, November/December 2010 (469kb PDF file)
Advisors:
GETTING PERSONAL: Estate Advisers As Surrogate Parents
By Arden Dale
From a Dow Jones Newswires Column
Good Not Great: Why It's Time To Reconsider Your Professional Advisors
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, July 11, 2011
Lawyers Not Always Equipped to Work with Family-Owned Businesses
Massachussetts Lawyers Weekly, July 17. 2007, 56kb PDF file
What about the “Michigas” in Family Businesses?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, June 13, 2013
What Is the Advantage of the Interdisciplinary Method of Consulting to Family Owned Businesses?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, May 30, 2013
Communication:
Do you believe in confrontation?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
October 22, 2014
During the holidays, what is the best way to handle family business discussions?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
December 21, 2015
How Can I Live Up To Their Expectations?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, November 29, 2011
How come it so difficult to listen?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
January 19, 2015
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
January 6, 2015
The Trouble with Family Secrets
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From the Campden Wealth Bulletin, May 13, 2013
Family Dynamics/Relationships:
Families in Business reprint, Jul/Aug 2007, 76kb PDF file
The Brooke Astor case: It Wasn't About the Money
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D and Patricia M. Annino, Esquire, 131kb PDF file
Can tensions between siblings be reduced?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
April 15, 2015
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
March 27, 2015
Divorce: Is it Possible for a Business to Survive?
Families in Business reprint, May/Jun 2007, 92kb PDF file
How Can Relationships Improve?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, January 24, 2012
How Come Brothers Have Such a Difficult Time Working Together in the Business?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, November 15, 2011
How did you know that the brothers had a problem?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
March 2, 2015
How Do You Bring In-Laws Into the Business?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, June 26, 2012
How do you deal with in-laws in the FOB?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, January 3, 2014
How Do You Distinguish the Role of Father From the Role of Boss in the Family Owned Business?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, November 29, 2012
How Does a Family Business Owner Respond to Being Told That He Has a Terminal Illness?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, June 13, 2012
Is “Happy Holidays” an oxymoron?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, December 19, 2013
Is it Possible to Control Your Emotions with Other Family Members?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, May 16, 2013
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
Posted September 10, 2010 in Our Family Business at Odds
The Key Issues that Can Help Family Businesses Gain Control of Sibling Rivalries
Making Peace between the Generations in Family Businesses
Should My Spouse Have a Say in the Family Business?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, February 14, 2012
Should you include the extended family/Spouses in family business issues?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
November 12, 2014
What are the risks of bringing in an outside CEO to run the family business?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, November 8, 2013
What Do I Do When There is Conflict in My Family?
Families in Business, Jan/Feb 2008, 70kb PDF file)
What do you do when you are caught in the “middle”?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, September 25, 2014
What Makes for a Successful Husband and Wife Business Team?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, July 3, 2012
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, June 5, 2012
Which is more important, nature or nurture?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, October 31, 2013
Why Should You Avoid Family Business Litigation?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, April 24, 2013
Governance:
Family Business Advisory Council: Purpose And Structure
By George Burns Esq.
From a column in the Business Leader Post, May 9, 2012
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
December 3, 2014
Inter-generational Dynamics/Succession:
Building Intergenerational Dialogue
Families in Business reprint, Mar/Apr 2007, 55kb PDF file
Can the Senior Generation Keep it's Authority and Still Allow Succession to Happen?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, January 11, 2012
Can success create conflict in family owned businesses?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
August 25, 2015
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, March 20, 2013
Can You Teach an “Old Dog” New Tricks?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, June 6, 2013
Does age have an impact on one’s ability to let go?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
February 16, 2015
Does DNA play a role in families and, therefore, in the family owned business?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, November 13, 2013
Does the answer to succession lie in the next generation?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, July 29, 2014
Does the business serve the family or does the family serve the business?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
August 2, 2015
How come the senior generation has a hard time training the next generation?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, October 18, 2013
How come there are late bloomers?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, July 26, 2012
By George Burns Esq.
From a column in the Business Leader Post, April 24, 2012
How do you address the senior generation's mixed messages about letting go of control?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, March 6, 2012
How do you deal with anger in the family business?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, December 11, 2013
How do you reach out to the next generation?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, September 18, 2014
How does the loss of a loved one affect the succession process?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, October 25, 2013
How does the next generation deal with mixed messages from the senior generation?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, May 30, 2012
How Is Self-sacrifice Connected To The Family Business?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
December 10, 2014
How Multi-Generational Family Firms Transfer Management Control Successfully
How much do you tell your employees about your succession plans?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, April 11, 2012
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
December 21, 2015
Joining the Family Business: Bringing it All Back Home
By Jenny Davidow, M.A.
From an abbreviated version to be posted in 'Our Family Business at Odds'
The Key Issues that Can Help Family Businesses Gain Control of Sibling Rivalries
Making Peace between the Generations in Family Businesses
Lessons Learned from the Market Basket Conflict
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From an opinion in Cape & Plymouth Business, September 2014
Market Basket does not appear to have a future
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From an opinion in Cape & Plymouth Business, September 2014
Minimising succession risks: a definitive guide
Families in Business, Sep/Oct 2007, 110kb PDF file
Families in Business reprint, Jan/Feb 2007, 148kb PDF file
Families in Business, October/November 2006
Families in Business reprint, Sep/Oct 2006, 199kb PDF file
Walking the Walk: Facing the Succession Process in My Own Business
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From an abbreviated version to be posted in 'Our Family Business at Odds'
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From an abbreviated version to be posted in 'Our Family Business at Odds'
What can we learn from the Demoulas debacle?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, August 13, 2014
What can you do to help the next generation perform?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, May 15, 2012
What do you do when the senior generation has Alzheimer's?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, April 16, 2012
What Happens to Sibling Rivalry During the Succession Process?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, December 10, 2012
What is it about Market Basket and the Demoulas family?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, August 5, 2014
What is the biggest obstacle to inter-generational dialogue about succession?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, March 20, 2012
What is the Most Difficult Part of the Succession Process?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, September 26, 2012
What Is the Role of Parents in the Family Owned Business?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, December 26, 2012
What Motivates People to Plan?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, January 24, 2013
When does fantasy trump reality?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, November 26, 2013
When does the senior generation begin to lose control in the Family Owned Business?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, June 28, 2013
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, December 17, 2012
When does "old school" get old?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
June 26, 2015
Managing Significant Wealth:
CampdenFB, Summer 2009, 101kb PDF file
Massachussetts Family Business, Fourth Quarter 2009, 440kb PDF file
Standards for Managing Significant Wealth
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
CampdenFB.com, December 2, 2009 (529kb PDF)
by Lilli Friedland, Ph.D.
Sudden Money Loss: A Seven Step Plan for Families on the Edge of a Financial Cliff
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D and Patricia M. Annino, Esquire, 44kb PDF file
Campden FB, Winter 2009 (689kb PDF)
With collapse of financial institutions, should trusted advisor become trustee?
Massachussetts Lawyers Weekly, November 10, 2008)
Mediation:
Family Dynamics Consultants and Lawyer-Mediators
By George F. Burns, Esq.
Dispute Resolution Magazine, Winter 2010
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, May 23, 2012
What Is the Advantage of Mediation?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, October 25, 2012
Performance:
How Do You Deal with Underperforming Family Members in the Family Owned Business?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, September 5, 2012
How Do You Deal with an Underperforming Family Business Member? — Part II
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, September 10, 2012
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, July 20, 2012
Performance Appraisal in the Competitive 21st Century
Should there always be one person in charge in the FOB?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, November 20, 2013
What Does “The Shrink” Think about the Role Emotions Play in Family Businesses?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, March 28, 2013
What does the term “boundaries” mean in family owned businesses?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, December 4, 2013
What is a Key Ingredient for Success?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, November 7, 2012
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, October 15, 2012
What Is the Best Method of Compensation for Family Owned Businesses?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, June 20, 2013
What Is The Difference Between Power and Authority in Family Owned Businesses?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, January 16, 2013
Why is it so important to follow your instincts in business
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, May 2, 2012
Values:
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, May 23, 2013
Everybody is Entitled to be Treated with Dignity
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, February 29, 2012
How do you resolve materialism versus spirituality?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, April 3, 2012
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, March 20, 2012
Is It Ever Too Late to Pass On the Family Values To the Next Generation?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, November 15, 2012
Philanthropy: A Lifetime Commitment
What did I learn from a Family Business conference?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, June 26, 2014
What Does Responsible Capitalism Mean?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, December 27, 2011
What is the Importance of Loyalty in a Family Owned Business?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, February 27, 2013
Why leadership and values matter
campdenFB.com, March 12, 2009
Women in Family Business:
What Do Women Really Want? Estate Planning Tailored to Women's Needs
Women in Family Business: What Keeps You up at Night?
By Patricia M. Annino J.D., Thomas D. Davidow Ed.D, Cynthia Adams Harrison Ed.D, Lisbeth Davidow Ed.M. Addresses the psychological, relational and financial issues impacting women in family owned businesses: women who want their husbands to retire; mothers who want to treat their children fairly; widows who don't know whether to keep or sell the business; stepmothers who feel like outsiders; daughters who want their fathers' approval; sisters who want the same opportunities as their brothers; and daughters-in-law and sisters-in-law who wanted to be treated with respect. The book informs, entertains and provides those women in the family owned business with survival tools for taking care of themselves and their families.
(Click link above to order from Amazon.com)
Other:
85 Years and Four Generations Later...
By Joanne Ray
New England Construction, September 2010, (394kb PDF file)
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
July 14, 2015
Compensating the working family
Families in Business, May/Jun 2008, 220kb PDF file
Dealing with Major Health Issues in the Family Business
CampdenFB, Summer 2010, (2.4mb PDF file)
Does everybody have a story about family owned businesses?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, August 18, 2014
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
December 21, 2015
Dual class shares: aristocracy or meritocracy?
CampdenFB, Sep/Oct 2008, 142kb PDF file
Family business - to sell or not to sell?
Families in Business, Nov/Dec 2007, 210kb PDF file
By Russ Robb and Thomas Davidow
Massachussetts Family Business Magazine, Fourth Quarter 2010, (118kb PDF file)
Has the Market for Family Business Consulting Changed?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, April 11, 2013
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
February 1, 2015
How do you convince people to be patient?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, July 4, 2014
How Do You Find Out What Your Client Is Thinking?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, March 6, 2013
How Do You Make Decisions Between Family and Business Interests?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, October 1, 2012
How important is structure in the family business?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
November 4, 2014
How should family owned businesses deal with visibility in the community?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, September 11, 2014
Is that a light at the end of the tunnel or a train heading the other way?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, August 27, 2012
Is there more to the Paterno/Murdoch syndrome?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, August 2, 2012
Placing a Family Business in Trust: Identifying and Resolving Inherent Conflicts
Profit Sharing: Entitlement or Motivator?
The Provisional Audit Committe
Family Business Management, Fall 2007, 60kb PDF file
Re-vitalizing the Family Business
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a 'Webinar Wednesday' presention by the Family Business Association, March 7, 2012
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002: Why it is Relevant to the Closely Held Family Business
Selecting and Working With Valuation Firms
Mark K. Harder, Esq., May 20, 2004, 86kb PDF file
Should you always try to stay in business together?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, June 21, 2012
The "Unreal Repeal": A Closer Look at the 2001 Estate Tax Law
Using Phantom Stock to Compensate Executives in Privately Held Businesses
What about the Good? (as opposed to the Bad and the Ugly)
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, May 8, 2013
What Do You Do When Your Client Is Not Listening to You?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, February 4, 2013
What Have Been the Characteristics of My Five Most Impressive Clients?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, January 2, 2013
What is a fair compensation structure for family-owned businesses?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, August 23, 2012
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, November 1, 2012
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
March 13, 2015
What is the counter intuitive challenge in family owned businesses?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, July 14, 2014
What is the First Thing You Should Do When You Meet a New or Prospective Client?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, February 20, 2013
What Is the Joe Paterno/Rupert Murdoch Syndrome?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, July 12, 2012
What was the scariest but best decision a family business had to make?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, July 23, 2014
What makes some opinions better than others?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, August 9, 2012
What Were the Results of My Request for Information?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, May 1, 2013
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, October 13, 2013
Why Is It So Difficult to Work with the Ones You Love?
By Thomas D. Davidow, Ed.D
From a column in the Business Leader Post, April 4, 2013
wealthstrategiesjournal.com, March 22, 2009, 168kb PDF