"Paying attention to both family and business concerns is not easy. Family rules and norms about what to talk about and what to keep quiet may limit discussion of important issue. As you begin to discuss family and business concerns, you may need to use a non-family member to help you sort through the questions that come up. But, families tend to be closed groups - it's in their nature. This can affect the family's willingness to call on outside resources for help. If you're thinking, "Well, we can do it ourselves," or "We don't need any outside help," remember that one of the advantages an outsider has is not being caught up in your family's rules and norms. They can ask the "dumb" questions which will trigger, in your mind, a solution to the problem that had been stuck or hidden."

"There are many things you can do to prepare yourself to make decisions. The first thing is to talk about the importance of being honest instead of saying what people want to hear. When it's your operation and you are the ones making the decisions, you need to have people be honest about their anxieties and questions."

Excerpts from Keeping the Family Farm Healthy by Amy Lyman for Penn State University