Keys to Writing Your Family Constitution

The four important steps to creating and maintaining a Family Constitution:

1. Create a Family Mission statement: The Family Constitution should begin with a personalized Mission statement. This should be based on your family's skills, abilities, Values, and dreams. This exercise should also be useful in finding out the purpose of your Family Business. The Mission statement should be brief; at the most two sentences and it should be in writing. The simpler the Mission statement the easier it is to imbibe it in your daily lives and Family Business.

2. Tailor your constitution to suit your Family: Remember your Family is unique. A template of the constitution available online may not suit your Family. Do not try to force fit your requirements in such templates, as it may not serve the purpose. However, you can take it as a basis to create your own unique Constitution.

3. Live it out every day: When your Family Constitution is ready and every Family Member has given their acceptance, it must be put into action straightaway! Family Members’ lives should reflect the essence of the Family Constitution.

4. Form a Family Council to update and enforce it: If some part of your Constitution is not working anymore or you, find that some Family Members are beginning to deviate from the Values outlined it is time to revisit the Constitution. One of the functions of the Family Council is to update and enforce the Constitution regularly. Hence, it makes sense to form a Family Council to ensure that Constitution is followed in letter and spirit.