The Emotion

The concept of the "emotional ledger" was formulated by the trans-generational family systems theorist, Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy, and is a key idea in contextual theory. According to Boszormenyi-Nagy, the emotional ledger of the family is a balance sheet of indebtedness, entitlement and obligations that accrue in the processes of give-and-take between individuals and generations over decades. Families in business together often suffer from the commingling of the financial ledger of tangible assets and the emotional ledger of intangible liabilities. Regardless of our professional discipline, much of our work is in service to balancing the complexities of our client's emotional ledger. This book is about that process. While it was written with the non-clinical advisor in mind, it will be valuable to anyone who needs to understand the complexities and challenges of being a family in business.