Every day somewhere in the world a human being who is cast in the role of “beneficiary of a trust” accuses her or his trustee of being unresponsive to her or his request to be heard and to be represented. From this accusation (all too often true!) flows at least...
LIBRARY
Jay’s Reflections Articles
Can I Be A Good Business Partner?
Many years ago, I was practicing law at a large international law firm where my father was also practicing. At that time he was the head of the firm's corporate law section. I was asked by a client to establish a partnership for him and went to see my father to obtain...
A Reflection On The Path Of The Stakeholder Owner, Organizational and Management Science
A REFLECTION ON THE PATH OF THE STAKEHOLDER OWNER ORGANIZATIONAL AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCE With a Section on Leadership of the Family and its Enterprises The idea of the study of organizations and how they operate begins in the early 20th century with the time and motion...
A Reflection On The Traits And Capacities Of Family Elders
One of the most rewarding activities of this third stage of my life has been a study of the traits and capacities of elders through intimate connection with such remarkable members of the Human Community. I have benefited from their wisdom and, even more, by knowing...
A Reflection On The Role Of Aunts And Uncles In A System Of Family Governance
As I look deeply into the multiple relationships family members have with each other, as they attempt to successfully govern themselves, I increasingly observe how important the roles of aunts and uncles are in the development of their nieces and nephews into...
A Reflection On The Art And Practice Of Mentorship
Mentor appears for the first time in the Western Canon as a character in the Odyssey. [1] We are told by Homer that he is an old and deeply respected man into whose hands Odysseus has given the kingdom of Ithaca, while Odysseus goes off to fight the war with Troy. We...
A Reflection On The Art And Practice Of Ritual Within A Family Governance System
I have noted in my work with families that those families, who recognize the important passage in their families’ members’ lives with ritual, seem to do better in their pursuit to overcome the “shirt sleeves” proverb. Perhaps this should not be surprising since the...
A Reflection on Modern Psychology and the Question of Family Relationships
Several years ago I was privileged to be in an audience addressed by Peter Steinglass, the head of the Ackerman Institute in New York City. Peter's theme was issues of financial capital in wealthy families. Peter brought into my consciousness something that Sigmund...
The Investment Problem of Second and Later Generation Families
Dear G9: What the recent markets have reminded dynastic families, families flourishing in the second and later generations, is that they are dynamic wealth preservers not fortune creators; that they have fortunes to lose and risks commensurate. Further they have...