The Heritage Planning Process^™

Two of the elements, the Guided Discovery Process™ and Heritage Statement™, are usually done in tandem. Guided discovery is a process of learning, in which you are guided by another to learn from your own experiences. The Process uses guided discovery interviews to help the client identify and articulate their story, life lessons, values, and principles that they have developed over a lifetime. This discovery is then used as the basis for creating a starting point for the future success of the family for generations to come.

A Heritage Statement is then created in order to convey the results of the Guided Discovery Process in a format that will be meaningful and relevant to the family. It is typically conveyed at least in writing, but given the technology available today, may be conveyed via many other mediums.

Another element is the facilitation of the family’s Collaborative Team™. This involves communicating the family’s Heritage Statement, and the vision it contains, to the family’s advisors, so that the team of advisors can ensure that the family’s current actions and planning are aligned with and support the family’s Heritage Statement, vision and structure.

The Initial Heritage Day™ is typically a one-day family retreat designed to enhance communication in the family and allow the family to experience growth together. Simply stated, this day is to get the family started down the journey together. This is accomplished through a series of exercises and experiences that typically begins with an exercise to allow everyone in the family to get on common footing. Families then experience a series of exercises to introduce new models of communication. Finally, they complete exercises designed to allow the family to create its governance structure or operate within the structure it has already created. These are typically in the form of “pre-inheritance experiences” that lead to the next Ongoing Heritage Day™. The specific exercises we use during each part of the day will depend on the family’s unique attributes - for example, ages, experiences, communication styles, etc...

Ongoing Heritage Days are designed to grow the culture of communication, trust and mentoring in the family. They allow the family to perpetuate its common vision and operate within its agreed upon structure. The result is a normality that promotes the family’s unity, culture and vision for multiple generations. These meetings are typically held at least annually, and include fun, family development and “the business of being a family”. For many families, the development themes for the first 6 years are communication (primarily listening), empathy, leadership, personal and family development, and teamwork.

Successful families have spent a lifetime preparing the money for the family. Heritage Planning provides families the experiences necessary to prepare the family for the money.