Programs

We have created unique skill-based professional training programs to teach the key competencies needed for advisors helping UHNW client families struggling with family dynamics. We offer these programs together and individually to wealth advising firms on a consulting basis.

For Advisors of Ultra High Net Worth Families:

The Training "Working with Family Dynamics:Becoming an Effective Family Advisor" to be held in Greeenwich, CT on May 14-15, 2012 has been postponed and tentatively rescheduled to Fall 2012.

Jim Grubman and Dennis Jaffe continue their collaboration in the ongoing development of specialized training workshops for professionals working with UHNW clients and families. This initiative, sponsored by the Alden B. Dow Center for Creativity and Enterprise at Northwood University, continues with the next intensive multi-day workshop, "Working with Family Dynamics: Becoming an Effective Family Advisor" in Greenwich, CT, on May 14-15, 2012. The event will be held at the beautiful Delamar - Greenwich Harbor hotel, one of the world’s best small luxury hotels.

Targeted to high-end wealth managers and family-office-level advisors, the program is aimed at developing fundamental skills for advising families in areas related to family dynamics, intergenerational decisions about family wealth, governance and succession. At each program we work with a small group of advisors in an intensive case-oriented, experiential training. Each par¬ticipant completes pre-program reading, assignments, and self-assessment in order to maximize learning at the on-site workshop. After the workshop, attendees are invited to become part of a cohort follow-up and support process.

Attendees of the inaugural training program, held in Dallas TX last November 2011, were drawn from the fields of wealth management, family office services, philanthropy, law, and accounting. They practiced skills for working effectively with clients' family communication, next-generation issues, and governance. Using small-group breakouts, role-plays and their own client cases, the participants learned about their emotional intelligence levels, how to interview family members effectively, how to approach "crucial conversations," and when to intervene in family issues that impact wealth management.

We plan to offer this foundation program regularly. Subsequent workshops are currently planned for Dallas TX again on November 4-5, 2012 and a location in Europe in early 2013. For advisors who have completed the foundation workshops, we plan also to offer an advanced pro¬gram beginning in 2013 combining the fundamental and advanced programs with telephone and on-line supervision to offer a certificate in family wealth advising.

For further information or to inquire about upcoming programs, please contact Susan Eckstrom at susan@wealthadvisortraining.com or 413-775-0557. To register for the May 2012 workshop, please click here.

For Family Wealth Advising Firms

Comprehensive wealth management firms working at the ultra-high-net-worth or family-office level (typically $25 million - $50 million and above in average client account size) need advisors who are able to handle the complex issues of multi-generational, multi-branch, and multi-household clients. We offer customized consulting and training programs to financial firms that cover several key areas:

the top-notch communication skills needed by client-facing relationship managers and investment advisors in everyday client situations
the specialized skills and knowledge base needed by relationship managers and advisors for more difficult or complex client situations. These include the impact of medical issues such as aging and dementia, new approaches to trust design and administration, understanding basics of governance or financial literacy education, and how to handle errors that arise in the course of wealth management.

Training and consultation typically involve a combination of periodic on-site workshops, conference calls, case consultation, fine-tuning of client communication materials, and support by phone, Skype, and email.

For Family Business Leaders

Excellent communication skills are not only for wealth advisors. Family business leaders – those working in governance roles, family offices, and stewardship roles in the family enterprise - also need to develop these skills as transformational change leaders for the family. In partnership with the Asia Region of the Family Business Network, Dennis Jaffe has developed a sequence of three two-day experiential workshops that focus on developing skills for personal development, family communication, innovation, and succession in the family enterprise. These workshops are available for family business programs as well as advisory firms who want to offer these skills to their next-generation family leaders or clients.