What does “generational transition” really mean?
It’s not simply a matter of succession planning, but of:
- Transferring technical and managerial skills.
- Recognizing and valuing the company’s founding principles.
- Preparing the new generation to make decisions with vision and responsibility.
- Combining experience and innovation through a shared generational transition consulting process.
- Demonstrating capability and a renewed vision.
The most common challenges
- Generational contrasts.
- Resistance to change from the outgoing or incoming generation.
- Difficulties in managing decision-making power.
- Lack of entrepreneurial training among successors.
- Risks of family conflicts or internal divisions.
- Creating confusion and uncertainty among employees.
Strategies for an effective transition
- Early planning
- Defining timelines, roles, and objectives together reduces tension and uncertainty.
- Training and mentorship
- New generations must be prepared through practical experience, coaching, and a gradual transition into leadership.
- Transparent communication
- Involving long-standing collaborators and external partners with a clear vision of the transition.
- Enhancing company identity
- Respecting the company’s history without hindering evolution: continuity and change can coexist.
- Creating new pilot projects for the incoming generation
- Allowing the new generation to take on initial assignments and demonstrate roles, attitudes, skills, and responsibility in carrying out the first tasks assigned.
Expected results of a successful generational transition
- A positive perception of the generational transition among employees.
- Operational continuity without interruptions or weaknesses.
- Strengthened internal and external trust (customers, suppliers, stakeholders).
- A revitalized company with new energy and ideas.
- Preservation of both economic and cultural heritage, including in cases of generational transition for sole proprietorships or businesses.
