How can we harness the power of the rising generation

Sustaining your family values and leadership

Authored by the Merrill Center for Family Wealth®

 

Enterprising families cannot be sustained without the personal commitment to create a great family. Preserving wealth and developing an empowered rising generation go hand in hand.

Based on research and case studies gathered in interviews with more than 70 family enterprises from across the world, the following five steps are a broad guide for empowering the rising generation in your family.1

Define the purpose of your wealth, your family values and your desired outcomes to clarify your current intention and allow enough flexibility to have the purpose evolve with each generation.

Engage the rising generation by seeking to understand their perspectives and sharing yours through a learning conversation.

Develop a plan to empower the rising generation by sharing a history of the family businesses and providing service experiences and education on the opportunities and responsibilities of participating in the family enterprise.

Support individual family members in their pursuit of finding purpose in their lives and to actively design a plan for personal and career development.

Continue to foster a culture of excellence by committing time, energy and resources to collaboratively develop family governance, promote accountability and renew family bonds.

Interested in exploring this topic in greater detail? Read our white paper.2 Or reach out to your Merrill Private Wealth Advisor to discuss further, and to access resources specifically tailored to the rising generation.

A private wealth advisor can help you get started.

Our advisors can help you follow your passions, build a legacy and have a positive impact on others.

Concepts from Dennis Jaffe, Good Fortune: Building a Hundred Year Family Enterprise, 2013. (Latest data available.)

This white paper draws insights from “Releasing the potential of the rising generation: How long-lasting family enterprises prepare their successors.” Dennis T. Jaffe, Ph.D., Wise Counsel Research. Research was co-sponsored by the Merrill Center for Family Wealth® and Merrill Family Office Services. January 2016.