Should we treat corporations as a person? Unfortunately, we’re beyond that question. Corporations have gained personhood to an extent and we should embrace that. So, if a corporation is a person, then should corporation view the relationships built within it as a family unit by asking, “How would I (the corporation) treat this person (employees) if they were my family?”

It’s an interesting starting point for me because of this fact: just because a group of people are established as a family, it doesn’t mean that that family will be very effective, strong, or productive.

What makes a good family unit? Trust. Relationship building. Presence. Financial integrity. Nurturing. Delineated Authority. Open, consistent communication. Honesty. Commitment. Encouraging. Constructive Criticism. Bonding in Conflicts. Disciplined values. Celebration. Lead by example. Now those are values a corporation could stand by.

The trouble that I’ve had in imagining the running of a corporation is that there are so many ‘rules’, but could there be one overarching theme? My conclusion is that we can base it around the idea of family. No matter what the ‘rules’, one’s actions are for the family. No matter what happens, the corporation stands by its family. That’s so much easier said than done, though. Now, the next question would be, how can we build that level of commitment between the corporation and it’s employees? That I’m wholly unsure about, but I hope to attempt it one day.