No Single Advisor Can Do It All
Thinking back to when I had my calling to this work with families, one of the first realizations I had was just how complex such work can be.
A family enterprise has lots of moving parts, especially as the family approaches an upcoming transition from one generation to the next.
Between the amount of wealth involved and the complexity of the family’s situation, there are important considerations that ultimately require the support and advice of a number of outside specialists who serve the family.
Getting these expert professionals to work together makes so much sense, at least in theory, so that the family client can get the best results.
The Theory Versus the Real World
Of course just because something makes perfect sense in theory, that doesn’t mean that it will work simply in the real world.
Thankfully, those who designed the FEA Program where I had that calling already knew about this “real world” challenge, and had purposefully included a team project into the curriculum.
For example, my project team included an insurance specialist, a CPA, a private banker, and me, who at the time was someone still trying to find his place in this field.
I played the role of facilitator, and still very much enjoy that role today.
In fact, as my team came to learn, that role of coordinator and facilitator often turns out to me way more important than the other professionals ever imagined.
Many Challenges and Obstacles Remain
Such facilitators have a key role to play in how the actual collaboration will play out with the family.
To many of the tactical specialists, we are often an “afterthought” because they haven’t necessarily been used to dealing with an entire family.
So many professionals have been accustomed to serving families more in theory than in practice, because they typically deal with only the head of the family or perhaps a couple.
Opening up the service offering to the entire family, which means at least two generations, means that there are many new considerations.
This poses certain challenges that can often be seen as more trouble than they are worth.
Rest assured though, that from the perspective of the family members from the rising generation, this difference is well worth the efforts in the end.
One Direction Only?
While the idea of collaboration is gaining wider acceptance and more advisors grasp the importance of working together, there is still much work to be done.
In fact, there seems to be a sort of “divide” that exists between the folks like me who specialize in the “family circle” and those whose practice involves the “business circle” and the “ownership circle”.
See: Three Circles + Seven Sectors = One A-Ha Moment (I’m referencing another blog from 2013, two weeks in a row!)
Whenever I have a client who needs something taken care of in those other circles, I always happily help them find the right resources and advisors so that they can be well served.
Everyone else I know who works the family circle does the same.
There seems to be a general reluctance for those who specialize in the other two circles to return the favour. Or maybe it’s just me.
Varying Degrees of Complexity Exist
Of course we aren’t talking rocket science here, and relatively simple family situations can obviously be handled by many advisors without the need to reach out for another person.
However, those whose entire career has been built on expertise in a particular domain aren’t expected to be adept and comfortable beyond a basic level of complexity and family conflict.
This is precisely where bringing in someone who has trained for this work make sense.
“Plays Well with Others”
Some professionals hesitate to bring in another advisor for fear of “losing the client”.
I can say with certainty that nobody is looking to “steal” your client.
As children, we all got comments from our teachers that noted how we “play well with others”, and we get that the client family’s needs are what matter most.
What Do I Mean by “Win-Win-Win”?
And in case it isn’t clear what I mean with my “Triple Win”, the first one is the client family and the second is the advisor with the wisdom and courage to bring in another resource to deal with the family circle.
The third and final win is for that family circle expert who helps tie it all together.
