Family businesses and family offices face unique challenges: balancing personal and professional dynamics, navigating succession planning, and making strategic decisions that align family values and business goals. Attending specialised business school programs tailored to family businesses and family offices can be transformative for families, offering a neutral environment, real-world case studies, expert speakers, peer learning, and practical tools.
However, the real challenge begins after the program ends. Families return home energised, full of new ideas and inspiration, only to lose momentum as daily routines take over. This is where expert advisors can play a crucial role: They help families maintain focus, implement what they’ve learned, and facilitate the difficult conversations that might otherwise stall progress.
Here’s why the combination of business education and expert advisory support is so powerful for families in business.
Business school programs: A launchpad for positive change and growth
Family business programs at top institutions such as IMD, Harvard Business School, or INSEAD provide an immersive experience that goes beyond traditional executive education. Here are some of the reasons they are so valuable:
- A neutral, safe environment – away from home, office politics, busy agendas- allows participants to focus and concentrate on challenges and learning.
- Real-world cases and expert speakers – learning from other family businesses (both successes and failures) provides excellent, actionable insights.
- Peer learning – and networking – interacting with other families in similar situations opens up new perspectives and often long-term connections.
- A de-emotionalised process – when families realise that they are not alone and that difficult topics can be discussed and shared with others, it makes the approach easier.
- Inspiration and fresh tools – families leave with frameworks for governance, succession, conflict resolution, and strategic planning.
The experience can be, and often is, eye-opening. Many families realise they have been stuck in old patterns and now have a clear understanding of what is going on as well as a roadmap for change and action.
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The post-program challenge: Momentum, and how to keep it
Despite the enthusiasm, implementation is hard. Why?
- Daily operations take over – urgent tasks push strategic initiatives to the back burner.
- Family dynamics resurface – without a neutral facilitator, difficult conversations are avoided.
- Lack of accountability – good intentions fade without someone to keep the family on track.
This is where the real risk lies: education without execution leaves great potential unused.
The critical role of expert advisors: Turning knowledge into action
Expert advisors such as consultants, technical experts, coaches, or facilitators specialising in family enterprises and family office help bridge the gap between learning and doing. Their role ensures that the investment in education pays off in three key ways:
1. Complementarity: Filling the gaps that families can’t
- Advisors provide neutrality and help mediate sensitive discussions.
- They bring structured methodologies that families may not know about.
- They offer specialised expertise in areas like tax, legal, or leadership development.
2. Getting it done: Accountability and execution
- Advisors act as project managers, ensuring that action items from the program are implemented.
- They keep the family actively aligned with regular check-ins and progress reviews.
- They break down big ideas into manageable steps, preventing overwhelm.
3. Maximising the educational investment
- Advisors help families apply frameworks from the program to their specific context.
- They tackle the “undiscussables”—topics the family avoids but must address for long-term success.
- They ensure continuity, so insights from the program do not get lost in the daily grind.
Conclusion: What makes the difference?
Business school programs give families the vision, tools, and motivation to create governance systems and transform their setups. However, without expert guidance afterwards, much of those potential risks remain unused.
By combining education with ongoing advisory support, families can:
- Sustain momentum after the program ends
- Navigate tough conversations with expert facilitation
- Turn insights and learnings into real, lasting change
For families in business, the true ROI of education isn’t just in learning—it’s in doing. And that’s where advisors make all the difference.
