Four Things Worth Sitting With This Summer
Most family offices have sophisticated processes for managing investments, philanthropy, and governance. What rarely makes the agenda is the staffing at the actual properties. Before fall arrives, a few things to consider…
1. The referral network has limits
Word of mouth has its place. But principals who rely on personal networks to fill senior household roles often end up with a limited candidate pool and people who haven’t been properly vetted. Some families go further and place a family member in the role, someone they trust but who has no direct, professional experience. Proximity and loyalty aren’t the same as fit. A structured search surfaces candidates you wouldn’t find any other way, and protects you from the ones who look good on paper but aren’t right for your world.
2. Know what you’d lose if they left tomorrow
The vacancy is the least of it. The vendor relationships, the family preferences, the judgment built over years of quiet, close work. That’s what’s actually at risk. If your most trusted person on property walked out tomorrow, how much would walk out with them?
3. Treat continuity as a strategy, not a reaction
The answer to item two is building it in before you need it. Document the reasoning behind decisions, cross-train where you can, and make sure critical knowledge doesn’t live in just one person. Continuity planning belongs on the calendar, not on the crisis list.
4. The right search partner changes everything
How you run a search determines who you attract. A retained search done well means discretion from day one, a vetted shortlist rather than a stack of resumes, and a partner who knows your world well enough to ask the right questions before the first candidate is ever presented. In May, we placed an Operations Manager in a FBO in 20 days, from first call to offer accepted. That’s what a well-run search looks like.
If any of this is on your mind: a search you’ve been putting off, a structure that doesn’t quite work, or a team that could be stronger, I’m always happy to talk it through. Even a quick conversation can clarify a lot.
Enjoy the summer.
Nancy