Family Business Diagnostic Tools and Surveys

Family businesses, and business families, are complex systems with many moving parts and critical interdependencies. “Normal” rational and commercial thinking can’t fully diagnose, understand and respond to their needs.
As with any complicated undertaking, the likelihood of a successful outcome is directly linked to the quality of initial understanding, planning and preparation. All of these rely on having a very clear idea of what the real issues are and what we want do about them.
From there it may be a long path to knowing how to do what’s needed, but it’s almost guaranteed that if we don’t put enough effort into initial analysis, we’ll have major problems designing a good process and event more trouble delivering good outcomes.

When & How To Use Family Business Diagnostic Tools

Diagnostics are used to better understand existing and developing situations and to encourage reluctant family members to take the action(s) required to improve their circumstances. They’re most useful when undertaken early in an assignment, but they can be used when they can help.

Family Use:

To obtain an objective confirmation of family and/or business problem areas. Designed to encourage the family to do something about their issues

Adviser Use:

A – as professional, best practice checklists and to support other forms of factfinding at the start of, and/or during, consulting, advisory assignments
B – to support existing recommendations that have not been adequately, or at all, actioned.

Diagnostic Tools & Surveys

We’ve developed a selection of widely applicable surveys and questionnaires that can be used to obtain essential background information before we commit to actions. All of these will be downloadable in hard and soft copy formats:

#1 Family Business Best Practice

This is our flagship product, designed to dive deep and provide useful information about almost every conceivable aspect of best practice in a family business. This comprehensive survey comprises almost 250 questions covering the key areas of:

  • Family strategies, structures, systems and skills
  • Family plans
  • Guidelines for managing interactions between the family, family members and the business
  • Family structures
  • Communication, problem solving, decision making and conflict management
  • Business values, vision and mission
  • Business plans
  • Business structures
  • Business family strategies, structures and systems
  • Business family sustainability

This survey is available as a ‘lite’ or full option. If you begin with the lite and choose to proceed with the full survey, you will receive a coupon code for $50 off the cost of the full survey.

Personal Satisfaction Survey

Our Personal Satisfaction Survey is a complimentary survey to give family champions something to take to their family to get a process going.

Take survey now

Family Business Best Practice Diagnostic (basic)

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Family Business Satisfaction Survey

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Succession Readiness Assessment

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Other Surveys Coming soon

#3 Family Culture
#4 Workplace Culture
#5 Succession Readiness – Family
#6 Succession Readiness – Business
#7 Business Professionalisation
#8 Family Professionalisation
#9 Personality Profiles
#10 Family Group Dynamics
#11 Trust Environment – Family
#12 Trust Environment – Business
#13 Team Performance – Family
#14 Team Performance – Business