Robert A. Sedlák
Founder and CEO transformis Consulting SE | Guest Professor ECNU Shanghai | Certified Business Mediator (German Mediation Act) | Head of the Family Businesses competence team
Succession in transformation
Succession Planning for Key Positions
Identifying key functions in good time and selecting and preparing suitable successors.
Leaving key positions vacant or filling them with the wrong people can cause considerable economic harm. Succession planning becomes urgent when a change of owner-manager or leadership is imminent, candidates are lacking, business-critical knowledge rests with individuals or the next generation is not yet prepared. It concerns functions at company and shareholder level, inside and outside the family.
What you come away with
- An overview of key functions with function descriptions and requirement profiles
- Well-founded selection and suitability decisions
- A succession and qualification plan for the designated individuals
How we work
- 01
Define functions
Derive key positions from the strategic challenges.
- 02
Develop profiles
Set out function descriptions, requirement profiles and selection criteria.
- 03
Select
Assess internal and external candidates in a transparent procedure.
- 04
Qualify
Prepare the designated individuals in a targeted way and review their development.
Defining key functions and requirements
The first step is to clarify which positions are decisive for the company's future and which tasks they will need to perform. From the strategic challenges we derive function descriptions and requirement profiles. This aligns the planning with the future task rather than with the person who holds the function today.
Selecting candidates and assessing potential
Based on the requirement profiles, selection criteria and a selection procedure are defined. The strengths and development needs of existing key players are assessed; where necessary, an external search is carried out. In family businesses in particular, transparent criteria and sound aptitude assessment help to make the decision between family logic and business logic more objective.
Succession planning first asks what the future task requires, and only then who can take it on.
Qualifying successors and assembling management teams
Selected individuals are prepared for their future tasks through a targeted qualification programme. Regular reviews show where development needs remain. We also ask which key players complement the successor's abilities and personality so that a capable management team emerges.
Book an initial callAligning planning with the future task
Succession planning does not start with the question of who is available, but with the challenges the company will have to meet in the coming years. These give rise to requirements for functions and those who hold them. A successor should not be a mirror image of the person handing over; nobody can live up to that expectation. What counts are the abilities the future role demands.
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In a generational transition, there is the additional question of whether leadership will come from within the family or be taken over by a manager from outside the family system. Both routes need the same clarity about requirements, decision-making paths and who determines suitability.
Establishing suitability without damaging relationships
Personnel decisions in succession can trigger tension and hurt. A decision based on family logic can be problematic for the company; a purely business decision can put a strain on the family. Objective decision aids defuse this conflict: requirement profiles, personality and competence assessment, and structured selection interviews.
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The assessment clarifies not only fit but also shows strengths, development areas and needs for compensation. From this we derive targeted development steps. For selection and qualification in a generational transition, our service portfolio describes a period of three to twelve months, depending on the starting point.
Deliverables: An overview of key functions with function descriptions and requirement profiles; Well-founded selection and suitability decisions; A succession and qualification plan for the designated individuals.
An assessment of suitability is no guarantee of success. The search for external candidates through executive search and active sourcing is added where needed. The handling of personal data is agreed in advance.
Frequently asked questions
Does succession planning apply only to management?
No. It covers all key functions where a vacancy or the wrong appointment would harm the company, including at shareholder level or in areas where business-critical knowledge rests with individuals.
How is the choice made between family and external candidates?
With the same requirements and a transparent procedure. Who decides on suitability and which criteria apply is determined in advance. This makes the decision comprehensible, even if it is disappointing for some.
How does succession planning relate to talent management?
Talent management develops potential across the whole company. Succession planning focuses specifically on particular key functions and a foreseeable change. Both use similar instruments such as requirement profiles, potential assessments and development conversations.
Prefer to talk directly?
What decision are you facing? Together, we clarify your situation, the people involved and the right next step.
Your initial call
Let’s talk about your situation and what you want to develop in your organisation.
- Your situation
- What brings you to us
- Possible next steps