The Family Enterprise Sustainability Index

Enterprising families are, by nature, futurists. Since the future is measured in generations, families need to anticipate how far into the future they want to co-exist as an asset-sharing family, where the roadblocks are, and how the family’s needs might evolve.

 

To succeed in this endeavor, families need to be able to answer an important question: 

Where should we, as a family enterprise, focus in order to bridge multiple generations in a sustainable manner?

 

Setting a course for sustainability

The Index provides enterprising families with a systematic way to: 

  1. Assess how aligned they are in their current knowledge and priorities

  2. Identify near-term behaviors that support desired long-term outcomes

  3. Lay the groundwork for the family to create a strategic plan to achieve sustainability for their financial and human capital 

At Relative Solutions, we observe that a sustainable family thoughtfully “…meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”  — The 1968 United Nations Brundtland Commission, Gro Harlem Brundtland, Prime Minister, Norway, Chair

Many family enterprises find they hit roadblocks on their journey to sustainability when they are engaged in one or more of the following:

  • Contemplating transition

  • Remaining stuck in generational patterns

  • Lacking clarity in decision-making and governance

  • Attempting to understand and address knowledge gaps


The Five Dimensions of Sustainability

 

What’s Involved

The index is designed to be taken by the individual members of a whole family system and takes approximately 20-40 minutes per person to complete.

Once the survey has been completed by all family members, Relative Solutions analyzes the results and presents the findings to the family in a manner that protects the confidentiality of the members. These results will lay the groundwork for the family to create a strategic plan to achieve real wealth sustainability for its financial and human capital.


Questions?

Check out our FAQ page.

Next steps

To learn more about the index, please fill out the form below and we will schedule a time to answer your questions and better understand your needs.