A generational handover happens when a business owner steps back or retires, passing leadership to family members or to new professionals with different backgrounds and perspectives. In many cases, especially for family businesses, this process falls under business succession planning, a critical phase in ensuring long-term continuity.
Business succession often involves risks, emotional challenges, and the hardship of letting go. For those who led a business for a long time, envisioning a new chapter can be daunting. And yet, avoiding the transition only clouds the company’s future, which can be far more dangerous.
As a business owner, one of your biggest questions might be: is my successor truly prepared to lead? Do they fully understand the complexity of the business? How will they shape the company I’ve built and nurtured over the years?
This is where an experienced interim manager can make a real difference. With a deep understanding of generational change dynamics, they can support both the outgoing leader and the successor, ensuring a smooth transition, a clear communication, and an alignment on the company’s future direction. The result? A generational handover that brings stability, continuity, and confidence across the organization.
A generational shift isn’t just about who’s stepping down or stepping in: it impacts everyone across the company. Will your team recognize and support your successor? How will they respond to the changes that come with new leadership? This kind of transition is a gradual process, but throughout, it’s essential to preserve the company’s core identity and values.
That’s why an interim manager’s priority is to work closely with the business owner to fully understand what drives the organization: its culture, its guiding principles, and the strategic processes that must be preserved.
So, the interim manager and business owner define the most appropriate approach according to the specific situation they face. In some cases, this may involve bringing in a manager as a tutor, someone who can support and guide the new leadership. In others, the interim manager may take on a more active role, stepping directly into the company’s operations and governance to serve as a bridge between the past and the future, ensuring a smoother transition and greater continuity.
At Percinque, we support companies through every phase of a generational handover, from building awareness and alignment, to preparing the next generation for leadership, designing future-ready organizational structures, and guiding the new team as they step into their roles.
We take on two essential roles:
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