发布时间：2023-06-01
传承宝典｜富不过三代？ 对一句古老谚语的新看法
导读
“富不过三代”这句谚语，形容的是家族事业无法长久传承的现象。本文采用了代际风险偏好匹配的新视角来探索这道家族传承难题，并试图从家族沟通、治理和教育计划等方面提供解决方案，帮助家族成员找到风险“联动点”，为下一代赋能，推动企业向前发展。
本文由雷梭勒家族办公室根据Stonehage Fleming文章编译整理，版权归原作者所有。
富不过三代
你可能听说过这样一句谚语：“富不过三代”（译者注：原文为 from shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations，即“三代人的起点是穿袖衫，终点又回到了穿袖衫”。在二十世纪初期的美国，穿着长袖工装的都是典型的工人阶级）。这指的是，家族企业的第三代往往发现，要坚持父母和祖父母传给他们的事业是很有挑战性的。
下一代无法有效传承，并不总是因为他们缺乏意愿或才能。在许多情况下，失败可能归因于两代人之间的风险偏好不匹配。不同的风险偏好会产生冲突，不过这其中有一个“联动点”，可以让一代人的“保护模式”与另一代人的“风险承担模式”在此相遇，积聚恰到好处的内在力量，从而有的放矢地推动企业向前发展。至关重要的是，找到这个联动点有赖于良好的沟通和管理，并确保第三代有参与的意愿和愿望。
尽管不同的家族企业情况各异，创业的时机也不相同，但许多家族企业也存在一些共性。
通常情况下，第一代企业家往往有一股初生牛犊不怕虎的劲头，因此也有较大的风险偏好。
第二代人往往更注重企业的增长。通常，他们发现自己能够将企业发展到超出自己预期的规模——这种结果通常促使他们进入“保护模式”，热衷于保住自己打造的价值。
老生常谈的说法是，第三代人无法守住企业，只有少数成功者能将接力棒交给下一代。
在可控环境中，失败的自由让企业家精神茁壮成长
为推动企业进入下一阶段，第三代需要得到长辈的“许可”，进行创新、承担风险并重新激发家族的企业家精神，前提是这样做的时机合适。
此时的第一代往往处于相对安稳无忧的状态，因此乐于让下一代人承担风险，以培养他们企业主的心态并成长。然而，经验告诉我们，当轮到第二代时，他们往往更不愿意给第三代同样的失败的自由。
另一种可能是，第三代对企业最初创立背后的意义感不再那么强烈。他们或许想在一个完全不同的方向和行业为自己打造事业。这是家族企业能否传承发展的另一个风险点，解除它有赖于开放的沟通，从更广泛的角度（可能从外部）考虑所有解决方案和有效的规划，从而在问题变大之前解决它。
即使第三代对家族企业仍有兴趣，但如果没有得到第二代的认可和支持，他们就仍然无法摆脱保护模式。当一方热衷于冒险，而另一方却谨小慎微或进行劝阻时，家族两代人之间就会发生重大冲突。
沟通和家族治理对调和风险观点冲突的作用
如果家族内部无法解决与风险有关的冲突，那么在最好的情况下，下一代的热情可能无法调动起来发展企业。在最坏的情况下，他们可能会决定放弃所有的努力，徘徊不前，只去秉持家族前辈所喜欢的安全、稳定的策略。
这一点有力地说明了，下一代需要尽早参与家族治理。对于任何家族而言——尤其是那些经营企业的家族——制定家族宪章和治理框架都有助于传承规划。与我们合作的一些家族更喜欢采取非正式的方式。而不论是哪一种方式，只有沟通明确才会发挥作用。
教育计划可以带来变革性的力量，让家族各代人都能够探索未来的各种机会和挑战。如果找一些吸引人的话题来讨论，家人之间基本上都会敞开心扉地交流。
家族里的传帮带，包括上一代人给下一代人讲述家族故事，是另一个有用的工具。理想情况下，这应该在第二代人仍然参与企业的日常工作时进行。这样，他们就可以为第三代人现身说法，通过现实体验传授专业知识，并在家族故事发生的过程中讲述它。
第二代人会想起自己从父母那里学到的教训，从而允许第三代人在条件可控的情况下在职业中犯错、成长。这种方式最终将让第三代人更加得心应手地经营企业，因为他们将学会在实时实地应对挑战。
以制度化推动企业发展
一旦达成共识，找到风险联动点，家族就可以开始将企业制度化了。随着公司领导团队的专业化、运营的正规化和流程的严格化，第二代也可以利用这个时机，考虑从首席执行官向董事长转型。这样的转变也提供了一个很好的机会，让第二代可以一边继续参与，一边持续地关注公司的运作。
领导团队还应该思考这样一个事实，即并非所有家庭成员都适合从事家族企业工作，或者他们可能不具备领导家族企业的资格、经验、热情和动力。如果是这种情况，家族就需要考虑在外部寻找合适的领导者。
如果达到风险联动点需要结合良好的沟通和家族治理，那么就必须将开诚布公和教育放在重中之重。做到这一点，有助于打破富不过三代的魔咒，让家族企业传承久远。
Original English Text
Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves? A fresh take on an old adage
Find your risk ‘biting point’ to empower the next generation and move the business forward
Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves
You may have heard the adage: ‘shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations.’ This refers to the idea that the third generation of a family enterprise often finds it challenging to hold on to a business passed down to them by their parents and grandparents.
It is not always a lack of willingness or talent on the part of the next generation that prevents effective succession. In many instances, failure can be attributed to a mismatch in the risk appetites of two generations. Within this tension between differing risk appetites, however, there is a ‘biting point’ where protection mode and risk-taking mode meet and hold the right potential energy to propel the business forward within parameters that preserve a sense of control and purpose. Crucially, finding that biting point relies on good communication and governance and ensuring that there is a willingness and an desire for the third generation to be involved at all.
Although there are many variations, including differences in timing, there are certain recurring themes common to many family business stories.
Typically, first generation entrepreneurs are characterised by a nothing-to-lose attitude, with the big risk appetite that comes with it.
The second generation tends to be more focused on growth. Often, they find that they are able to grow the business to a scale way beyond their expectations – an outcome that usually prompts them to go into protection mode, keen to preserve the value built up.
The third generation, the cliché goes, is unable to hold on to the business, with only a successful few managing to hand the baton on the next generation.
Entrepreneurialism thrives on freedom to fail, in a controlled environment
In order to fuel the business through to the next phase, the third generation needs their elders’ ‘permission’ to innovate, take on risk and to reignite the family entrepreneurialism, assuming the timing is right to do so.
From their position of relative security, the first generation is often happy to allow the next to take on risk to develop a business-owner mind-set and grow. Experience tells us, however, that when it’s their turn, the second generation are often more reluctant to give the third generation the same freedom to fail.
The other factor that can come in to play here is a waning interest in the original business purpose on the part of the third generation. They may want to build a career for themselves in an entirely different direction and industry. It is another risk to the continuation of a family business, which relies on open communication to consider all the wider – possibly external – solutions and effective planning to tackle it before it becomes problematic.
Assuming the interest is there, without the endorsement of the second generation, the third will remain unable to steer away from protection mode. When zeal for risk is met with caution or discouragement, many families experience significant conflict between the generations.
The role of communication and governance in uniting differing views on risk
Those families unable to resolve conflict around risk may, at best, fail to harness the next generation’s enthusiasm for growing the business. At worst, the next generation may decide to abandon all efforts to hang around and consolidate the safe, steady strategy favoured by their predecessors.
It is a strong argument for engaging the next generation sooner rather than later. For any family – especially those involved with a business – succession planning benefits from developing a constitution and governance framework. Some of the families we work with prefer a more informal approach. However, in both scenarios, they will only work with clear communication.
A programme of education can be transformational in enabling all generations to explore the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. They rarely fail to open up communication through probing engaging topics for discussion.
Mentoring, including the role of storytelling between the generations, is another useful tool. Ideally, it should be done while the second generation is still involved in the business, day-to-day. That way, they can provide the third generation with the benefit of their expertise through lived experience and telling the family story as it unfolds.
The second generation will be reminded of the lessons learned from their own parents in allowing the third to make mistakes and evolve professionally within a controlled environment. In this way, ultimately, they will be in a better position to run the business as they will have learned to deal with real time challenges, on the ground.
Institutionalise to move the business forward
Once an understanding has been reached, and the risk biting point found, a family can start to institutionalise the business. As the leadership team of the company professionalises, operations are formalised and more rigour is introduced to processes, it might be a good time for the second generation to consider a transition from chief executive to chairman. Such a move, for instance, provides a great opportunity to stay involved while keeping a steadying eye on operations.
The leadership team should also reflect on the fact that not all family members are suited to family business work or may not have the qualifications, experience, passion and drive to lead a family business. If this is the case, the family would need to consider finding a suitable leader outside the family.
If reaching the risk biting point requires a mix of good communication and good governance, prioritising transparency and education is essential. The ability to do so can help preserve the legacy of a family business well beyond the shirtsleeves.
本文转载自瑞士雷梭勒家族办公室，如有侵权，敬请告知删除。
Sooswiss为您提供
瑞士方向私人管家式的定制服务：
1）家族传承 2）财富管理 3）投资咨询
4）企业服务 5）居留计划 6）国际教育
更多资讯请登录网站 www.sooswiss.com
