What are family values supposed to actually do in real decisions?

Family values are your True North. Compass in conflict. Anchor in decision-making. Filter for relationships. Kris Kluver, in The Dysfunctional Family Office, frames the function of family values directly. They aren't aspirational statements you print on stationery. They're the thing you actually use when you face hard choices. Imagine choosing an employee, a business partner, a spouse, an investment advisor, by holding them up against your stated values. Watch how quickly misaligned people disqualify themselves once you have an explicit standard. Most UHNW families never get to this level of clarity. They have a vague sense of what matters and lose every difficult decision to whoever has the loudest preference in the moment. Once values are explicit, the decisions get faster and the family stops fighting about the same things on repeat.