Should We Professionalize Family Business Consulting? A Commentary
这篇评论探讨了家族企业咨询领域是否应该走向专业化，包括设立最低能力标准、认证和资格认定，以应对快速增长和低准入门槛带来的质量问题。
The family business and its needs are finally well recognized and respected. Thirty years ago only Lebn Danco served this important market full-time. Today, hundreds of us call ourselves family business consultants. More important, thousands of family businesses seek our advice. These families and the millions of people who depend on them rely on the quality of our advice for a large part of their security, livelihood, and happiness. In view of this increased visibility, it is perhaps time to reflect on our role in the marketplace and in the field as a whole. What responsibilities do we have to assure the integrity of our services? Should we become a profession? We are a very young field, still experimenting with concepts and pre-scriptions. We are growing at an incredible rate and attracting consultants from a wide variety of backgrounds (such as law, family therapy, organiza-tional development, accounting, and investment banking). Family business owners and the media generally welcome us with open arms. Families trust us, though they have no way of assessing what we do. Journalists print our opinions, usually without debate. Are there minimum competencies? Is quality control an issue we should be examining? Should we implement a program of certification and cre-dentialing? Should we distinguish between qualified and unqualified con-sultants? If so, by what standards should these distinctions be made? And if we do make this distinction, are we deliberately shaping the expectations of the market? The field will inevitably come under investigation as unsatisfactory consulting experiences are reported by clients. The media will look more aggressively for the other side of the story, and prospective clients will become less open and more reluctant. The field of family business consulting is rapidly attracting new practi-tioners. The entry barriers are very low and market acceptance of our services high. Delaying formalization could result in more misguided con-sultation and thereby tarnish our fields reputation.