About

We closely collaborate with enterprising families who seek to better manage the complexity of their shared activities toward sustainability and positive relationships.

We often get asked the question, “who is your client?” For many, the answer is “the person who initiated the work, or whoever is paying for the service”. Since sustainability of the family considers the well-being of each of the individual members, alignment requires consideration for the opportunities and vulnerabilities of each family member within the context of the whole. Our client is therefore the family system seeking generational alignment and well-being.

Since our founding in 2004, we have developed a framework to help families with various forms of shared ownership – operating businesses, family offices, trusts, foundations, investment partnerships - overcome directional uncertainty and relational tension to achieve continuity through the generations (described further in RayLign’s “Universal Theory of Family Well-Being – Empathy is the Answer, Too” article).

This Well-Being framework aims to establish the environment required for families and their advisors to build and sustain positive, long-term relationships in the context of family enterprise management. The elements for well-being include SELF (discovery and awareness), TEAM (leadership and inter-disciplinary collaboration), TRANSPARENCY (communications and conflict resolution), SYSTEMIC FORCES (anticipating challenges and reactivity) and EMPATHY (embracing difference, listening and validation). These components serve as the foundation for our work with families, as well as for coaching and training advisors.

Well-being is ultimately defined by the alignment of purpose as a family collective, with the culture, structure and well-being of each of the individual family members. It refers to the set of formal and informal structures and processes that guide and enable effective family decision-making through the generations.