Workshop to help family businesses improve communication, productivity

By Matthew Biddle

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A nationally recognized authority on leadership and business culture will teach local family businesses how to improve their firms and communication skills at a workshop hosted by the new Family Business Association at the University at Buffalo School of Management’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL).

The workshop and networking event will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. on March 18 at Salvatore’s Italian Gardens in Depew. The free event is open only to members of the CEL Family Business Association.

During the workshop, keynote speaker Sylvia Lafair, PhD, president of Creative Energy Options Inc. and author of “Don’t Bring it to Work,” will discuss how to develop a strong trust base in the workplace, improve collaboration and creativity, identify stress triggers and diffuse conflict by observing and altering ingrained patterns.

“Family businesses face many unique challenges, in addition to the traditional needs of an entrepreneur,” says Thomas Ulbrich, assistant dean and executive director of the CEL. “This workshop is designed to bring those invisible aspects of working in a family firm to light in ways that will encourage and enhance communication between those who work together, and with those family members who watch from the sidelines.”

Launched in January, the CEL Family Business Association is already off to a strong start in its efforts to build successful family businesses in Western New York.

Members receive complimentary registration to quarterly networking events and semiannual workshops, including the March 18 event, as well as discounted registration for professional development opportunities offered by the CEL and access to a professionally facilitated peer support group, starting in January.

For more information on becoming a member and attending this workshop, contact the CEL at 716-885-5715 or send an email to mgt-cel@buffalo.edu.

The UB School of Management is recognized for its emphasis on real-world learning, community and economic impact, and the global perspective of its faculty, students and alumni. The school also has been ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek, the Financial Times, Forbes and U.S. News & World Report for the quality of its programs and the return on investment it provides its graduates. For more information about the UB School of Management, visit mgt.buffalo.edu.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB’s more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.