Becoming Strategic Advisors... (cont’d)
her and her
• What are theit issues of fairness for or leadership
family when comes to ownership
succession?
evaluates the family business system through only one of
the three subsystems, they are seldom aware of the other
integral parts and how these parts influence the work they
are doing. They are also generally unaware of the impact
their work can have on the family.
To be served well, family businesses need advisors
to take a more expansive view by understanding the
whole system as well as the interactions between each
subsystem. Strategic advisors work with their clients
to identify and address all of the issues in the system
regardless of whether it is in the family, business, or
ownership subsystem. This is not to suggest that strategic
advisors personally address all of the issues in the three
circles; each advisor must continue to work within their
own discipline and training. However, strategic advisors
should be conversant in the whole family business system
and have a network of professionals they can rely on to
support the family in other areas outside of their expertise.
The following scenario illustrates how strategic advisors
may respond when faced with a family business issue.
Client A is nearing the end of her leadership role in
the family business. She faces many issues, some more
pressing than others. She asks her strategic advisor to meet
with her to go over her most recent financial statements
and raises the topic of her impending retirement. For
strategic advisors, some of the interconnecting issues that
immediately spring to mind include:
•
• Who in her family might be interested in leading or
owning the business?
• How will these decisions be made?
family members
include
• Which planning processare important ѽݥ