From the Kitchen Table To the Conference Table

Laura Michaud

Review is by Molly

From the Kitchen Table To the Conference Table is not a cutesy how to, or a storybook. It is a short, to the point work of 117 jam packed pages filled with the type of information every communicating person needs to accomplish more with greater success with those around them. Laura Michaud, who well knows the pitfalls of lack of communication between co workers, supervisors and workers, or family members holds a MBA, is President of The Michaud Group, and was involved in her family’s business for many years. Today writer/speaker Michaud shares the knowledge she gained from her nineteen years experience as VP of Sales and Marketing, board member and third generation family member for Beltone electronics by conducting seminars on customer loyalty, employee retention and personal growth.

Writer/speaker Michaud has taken what might be a boring subject in the hands of a less capable person and has produced a highly informative, highly readable work sure to aid those who have a desire to increase their own ability to deal with co-workers, workers, or family members.

Comprising six well developed chapters From the Kitchen Table To the Conference Table is offered as a tool for improving work and personal relationships. Family Meetings are suggested as a method for improving family and business relationships. Joys and pitfalls of working with those in your own family is approached in a no nonsense manner laced with good straight forward hints, information and wisdom as well as a bit of humor and plain old common sense. I found Michaud’s discussion of communication and behavioral styles and how they affect business success to be especially enlightening. The chapters on The Value and Richness in Diversity and How to Make the Difference Work were filled with excellent examples, suggestions and wit done up with creativity and a finely focused sense of significance.

Writer/speaker Michaud gets down to gritty basics as she examines/explains the fact that each one in the family may have different needs and goals; and the necessity for not just recognizing but encompassing those personal needs if the family business is to succeed.

I liked the layout of the book itself…… margins wide enough to pencil in notes are always helpful in books of the self help genre. I also found open areas for making lists, or rating the difficulty the reader may be face when working with a specific family member, a sample agenda, a behavioral style assessment tool and a blank page between chapters for jotting more notes. All excellent if the book is to be used with greater meaning by the reader.

Filled with approaches for shaping a flourishing, successful family business From the Kitchen Table to the Conference Table is designed to be the preeminent guide to aid family businesses in reaching their purpose.