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Effectively managing the transition of employees into and out of a family office will contribute significantly to the achievement of business objectives. Transitions are stressful for the employees and family members who are affected by the change, but, with careful planning, positive morale can be maintained and disruptions to work flow kept to a minimum.

Just as family businesses have boards and family foundations have boards, family investment offices should have boards, too. And the best family boards include several independent, outside directors. Boards provide oversight and accountability. Family organizations benefit from such oversight, and independent, outside directors on boards provide fresh perspectives and objectivity.

In difficult economic times such as this, we tend to forget — or minimize — the impact of turnover in the office. This is primarily due to the fact that people seldom leave their jobs in a tight employment market — even if they are unhappy. Turnover is costly, particularly in a small office environment. Smart family offices will pay extremely close attention to innovative recruiting strategies, job satisfaction, employee involvement and modern management techniques to attract and retain their best people.

Most of us live with a fair amount of interpersonal conflict, largely because we really don't believe that it can be resolved. Ongoing controversy within families and between family members and family office staff is a common experience, but it is not a necessary one.

Building and sustaining a team of responsive, compatible employees is one of the keys to a successful family office. In the sports world, professional team managers use a variety of diagnostic tools to enhance their team-building techniques. In the family office, managers can use similar diagnostic tools to gain valuable insights into how groups of employees are likely to work together.

This first national study explores the topic of family philanthropy through the family office including opportunities and challenges, perspectives and experiences of practitioners and family members with the family office structure. This is a collaborative project of the National Center for Family Philanthropy, Threshold Group, and FOX.

“Why can’t we all just get along?” If you say that often, perhaps it’s time to find the answer. People who work with successful families know that financial resources, social status, career or educational opportunities and even intact marriages do not guarantee family harmony. All families are subject to conflicts, pressures and the unmet needs of family members. In fact, family issues and conflicts may arise from a family’s resources and status – especially when resources and status affect a family member’s identity or sense of meaning.

In a competitive global marketplace, employers across the United States spend countless resources attempting to set themselves apart and claim their share of available business opportunities. Against that backdrop, it is easy to understand why employers will do everything possible to protect the confidential information they have created and the goodwill they have built with their customers. Employees are a critical element in building that success, but they can also be well-positioned to undermine such efforts when a relationship turns sour or where they are courted by a competitor.

In May 2017, the House of Representatives passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA). Although at this point it is just a bill and not the law, the House bill provides insights into what the future may hold for employer plans. If the bill is passed, there are ten key points that impact employer-sponsored benefit plans, including modified continuous coverage requirement for pre-existing conditions, cafeteria plan changes, and elimination of additional medicare tax.

Due diligence often focuses heavily on financial and operational issues. Often the new or combined organization’s cybersecurity does not receive the attention it deserves. As a result it places the company at risk from a cyber incident, which can detrimentally impact the organization’s reputation and financial security. The risk is higher if you are collecting, storing, or transmitting personal, financial or health information.