Engaging and preparing the rising generation is often top of mind, as the wellbeing of future family leaders is of great concern. Setting out to understand the needs and wants of the rising generation, this research tapped into the wisdom and experience of 55 families, 28 future family leaders, and 38 family office executives.
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When a family unit is comprised of multiple generations, conflicting perspectives and ways of being often come into play. While these generational differences can challenge unity and harmony, they also offer valuable insights and unique contributions when it comes to navigating important family matters. So how do families leverage these differences as they plan for long-term, intergenerational success?
Successful family meetings are an essential component of managing a family-owned business, especially for wealthy families. Such gatherings are not only about ensuring the smooth operation of the business, but also about facilitating family harmony and ensuring that relationships and the family’s legacy continue through generations. Learning from experience that includes failed family meetings, here are 11 tips for facilitating productive family meetings that foster unity and effectively grow wealth across generations.
With the varied viewpoints, personalities, and emotions of UHNW family members, finding consensus can be a difficult topic, yet it is imperative to reach goals and move ahead. Gain insight into the structure and practices required for consensus and consider real-life situations resolved using these techniques.
In "How To Talk With Your Family About Wealth," we discussed the importance of the family conversation when it comes to planning a legacy—and how quickly wealth can be lost when these conversations don’t take place. Yet despite their importance, these discussions can still be difficult, especially if your family doesn’t regularly talk about money.
The family meeting is an important element of the larger family education and communication strategy. Join Edouard Thijssen, Co-Founder & CEO of Trusted Family, and Mindy Kalinowski Earley, Chief Learning Officer at Family Office Exchange, for an educational discussion informed by their decades of work with families.
For a variety of reasons, Americans tend to be reluctant to discuss the specifics of their wealth—especially with adult children. While there may be discomfort around talking about wealth, there are several good reasons and ways to have these critical conversations.
Remember when the most difficult decision was selecting where to hold the family meeting? Welcome to the Family Meeting of 2021 where proper planning and expert facilitation matters more than ever. Live polling, hybrid gatherings, cocktail classes, visual notetaking, breakout groups, Zoom burnout, and the list goes on.
Even if you are not yet ready to share the family's wealth numbers, communicating your intentions to the next generations promotes family harmony and is a best practice for successfully sustaining and transferring family wealth. It may also be time to schedule a family meeting for this purpose. There is no right way to conduct this meeting, but there are factors to consider when planning the meeting, including providing possible agenda items for a variety of ages and knowledge levels.
As families grow larger and more diffused—the epitome of an enterprise family—consensus seems ever more difficult to attain. In this Q&A, FOX’s Chief Learning Officer Mindy Kalinowski Earley and principal Jeff Strese of Jeff Strese Consulting Group discuss how families can reduce conflict by taking a consensus-building approach that can navigate family transitions and avoid choppy waters in times of uncertainty. Jeff also provides insights on how fostering innovation and new thinking is key to enterprise survival.