Should We Really Make Plans for the Next Generation?

Why every family must face the question and why postponing it is the most dangerous answer of all.

Every family with assets, a business, a house, a collection, a vineyard knows, somewhere deep down, that one day there will be a change of hands. Yet very few prepare for that moment. The subject is uncomfortable. It forces people to think about death, power, love, rivalry, and the question no one dares to ask: “Who will come after me?”

Most families avoid the topic until circumstances make it unavoidable. And when the moment comes, what could have been a peaceful transition often becomes a painful battle. History is soaked in blood caused by poor succession from Cain and Abel to countless royal courts and family dynasties. In modern times, the weapons have changed, but the emotions have not.

Curiously, many patriarchs and matriarchs have serious doubts about their own children’s ability to take over. They find them too spoiled, too impatient, or too busy with their own lives. Yet the same parents look at their barely born grandchildren with absolute confidence: “Ah yes, this one will be perfect to take over one day.” This illusion, the “jumping generation” fantasy, is both touching and dangerous. It delays the necessary conversations, the transfer of knowledge, and the gradual handing over of trust and responsibility.

When I meet clients who are founders or CEOs, I often ask how much time they spend on medium- and long-term planning for their companies. Almost always, they tell me it takes a major part of their working lives. My next question is how often those plans actually turn out as expected. They smile and say, “Rarely, but we keep adjusting.” Then I ask how often they look at their own testament, their living will, their family agreements. Silence. “Well, maybe five or ten years ago,” they say. “The notary took care of it.” So much for reality.

The question, then, is not whether to plan for succession, but when, what, and for whom. A will alone is not a plan. It divides assets, but it does not preserve harmony, leadership, or legacy. True preparation takes time, discussion, and humility and the courage to look beyond the next generation, without skipping the one that’s already here.

In the end, mortality is not the surprise. Neglect is.