Poorly structured family meetings that lack a clear purpose and agenda can do more harm than good. Failing to get buy-in from all family members can cause irreparable damage to relationships, despite the best of intentions. There are five key tips for holding a successful family meeting, which is an essential ingredient for managing wealth across generations and ensuring families achieve their ultimate goal of sustaining family unity, maintaining wealth, and preserving the family legacy.
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At some point, most families ask if they should have a family meeting, recognizing the importance of providing a forum for sharing news, concerns, opportunities, and challenges in an open and direct way. Family meetings are often seen as a great place to learn, whether the topic is investments, business, legal matters, or the family itself. Furthermore, the interplay of generations is a great way to model and develop family leadership and help nurture the family legacy.
Although high-net-worth families and individuals recognize the importance of instituting formal family governance structures, doing so presents a complex task. For families who are committed to creating a flexible and durable system of governance, the benefits are lasting.