Family Business
Pre-Diagnostic
Questionnaire

This assessment helps your CILC adviser understand your family business context so your diagnostic session is focused, relevant, and valuable from the first minute.

Why complete this before your session? Your adviser will review your responses in advance. The session will be richer, more personalised, and more actionable — because the conversation can start where it matters most.

Please tell us about yourself and your business first.

5
Destroyers to assess
~20
Minutes to complete
100%
Confidential
1
Report for your adviser
Destroyer 1 of 5

Clarity & Alignment
Among Owners

When owners are unclear or misaligned, silent assumptions and hidden expectations quietly poison trust — stalling decisions and putting legacy at risk.

Theme: Shared vision · Roles · Expectations · Trust
1 How clearly defined are the roles and responsibilities of each owner or family member involved in the business? 1 = Not defined at all  ·  5 = Fully documented and agreed
2 Does your family business have a written mission, values statement, or family business charter?
3 How would you describe the level of agreement among owners on the long-term direction of the business? 1 = Significant disagreement  ·  5 = Full alignment
4 Are there any unresolved tensions or unspoken expectations between owners or family members that affect the business?
5 Describe a specific situation where a lack of clarity or alignment has caused problems in your business, or your biggest concern in this area.
Destroyer 2 of 5

Succession & the
Willingness to Let Go

When founders hold too tightly, the next generation checks out. Succession is not a single moment — it's a planned transition that honours the past while releasing the future.

Theme: Succession planning · Leadership transition · Next-gen readiness
1 Does your business have a documented succession plan?
2 How ready is the next generation (or successor) to take on greater leadership responsibility? 1 = Not at all ready  ·  5 = Fully prepared and in transition
3 How would you describe the current founder's or senior leader's approach to handing over authority?
4 Is the next generation actively developing the skills, experience, and leadership required to run the business? 1 = No development happening  ·  5 = Structured development programme in place
5 What is your biggest concern or challenge around succession and leadership transition in your family business?
Destroyer 3 of 5

Family Capital
Development

Capital is not just money. Human, intellectual, social, and relationship capital are what turn financial wealth into lasting legacy. Ignore them and wealth evaporates within two generations.

Theme: Human capital · Intellectual capital · Financial · Social · Relationships
1 Which types of family capital does your business actively invest in or discuss? Select all that apply.
2 How intentional is your family about discussing values, legacy, and what the business means beyond financial returns? 1 = Never discussed  ·  5 = Central to how we operate
3 Does your family hold regular meetings to discuss family wellbeing, education, development, and shared values — separate from business operations?
4 Rate your family's current strength across each dimension of family capital. Answer below for each type.
Human capital (talent, wellbeing, family relationships)
Financial capital (wealth stewardship, investment discipline)
Social capital (reputation, community standing)
5 What is one thing your family could do differently to better develop and preserve its collective capital?
Destroyer 4 of 5

Formal Governance
Structure

Without governance, good intentions are not a strategy. Decisions become emotional, favouritism creeps in, and family disputes escalate into boardroom crises.

Theme: Governance · Board · Family council · Decision-making · Accountability
1 Which governance structures does your business currently have in place? Select all that apply.
2 How are major decisions typically made in your family business?
3 How effectively does your business separate family matters from business matters? 1 = No separation at all  ·  5 = Clear, enforced boundaries
4 Has your business ever experienced a governance-related crisis — power struggle, dispute over ownership, boardroom conflict, or loss of key decision-makers?
5 What governance improvements would make the biggest difference to your family business right now?
Destroyer 5 of 5

Business Systems &
Documentation

If everything lives in one person's head, the business is one illness away from collapse. Systems that aren't documented cannot scale, survive succession, or be entrusted to the next generation.

Theme: SOPs · Knowledge transfer · Operational resilience · Scalability
1 How well documented are the key processes and procedures in your business? 1 = Nothing documented, all in people's heads  ·  5 = Comprehensive SOPs in place
2 If the founder or most senior manager were suddenly unavailable for 3 months, what would happen to the business?
3 How would you rate the quality and consistency of how work is done in your business day to day? 1 = Highly inconsistent, depends on who's doing it  ·  5 = Consistent, quality-assured processes
4 Which areas of the business are most at risk due to lack of documented systems? Select all that apply.
5 What is the single most important process or piece of knowledge in your business that is not yet documented — and what would it take to change that?
Final section

Overall Context
& Goals

Help your adviser understand the bigger picture — where you are, where you want to go, and what success looks like for your family and your business.

1 What does success look like for your family business in the next 5 years?
2 Overall, how would you rate the current health of your family business? 1 = In serious difficulty  ·  5 = Thriving and resilient
3 Which of the following best describes what you most want from your diagnostic session?
4 Which destroyer do you believe poses the greatest threat to your family business right now?
5 Is there anything else you'd like your adviser to know before your session — anything not covered by this questionnaire?
Adviser summary report

Pre-Diagnostic Summary

Family Business Diagnostic · CILC Advisory

Overall diagnostic score
—/50
Based on rated scale questions across all five destroyer dimensions

Adviser session notes

Private space for the adviser to capture observations, priorities, and recommended focus areas before or during the session.

✓ Progress saved