When generational transition blocks every decision

And the company is prisoner between past and future

Do you recognize this situation?

• The historical generation wants to stay in command but not in daily work
• The new generation has ideas but no authority to implement them
• Every strategic decision becomes a family negotiation
• The team doesn't know who to answer to and waits for them to "agree"
• Clients perceive the uncertainty and look around

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The limbo of incomplete transition

The company is stuck in a middle ground.

It's no longer led by the old generation.
It's not yet in the hands of the new one.
It's in between, suspended.

And in this limbo, no one truly decides.

Innovations are proposed but never realized.
Strategies are discussed but never implemented.
The company continues to run on inertia, but without direction.

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What happens when the transition is blocked

On the strategic front:

• No important choice is made
• Every change proposal gets stuck in endless discussions
• Investments are postponed "until we agree"
• Competition innovates while you discuss

On the operational front:

• The historical team waits for direction from the old guard
• New hires look to the new generation
• No one truly knows who's in charge
• Urgencies are managed, strategies ignored

On the relational front:

• Family tensions spilling into the company
• Meetings becoming emotional battlefields
• Employees forced to take sides or navigate between factions
• The atmosphere deteriorates, the best leave

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Why it happens

It's not that the old generation doesn't want to leave.
It's that they're afraid of what will happen after.

That company is their life.
They built it from nothing.
They sacrificed everything to make it grow.

And now someone (even if it's a child) wants to change it.

For them, changing means devaluing their sacrifice.
Even if rationally they understand that the market has changed.

On the other side, the new generation sees a company that's blocking while the world runs.
They want to modernize, digitalize, innovate.
But every proposal is seen as a criticism of the past.

And so you remain immobile.

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The (wrong) path many try

Apparent solution 1: "Wait for the old generation to leave naturally"

But meanwhile years pass.
And when it finally happens, the company has fallen so far behind that saving it requires emergency interventions.

Apparent solution 2: "Force change and clash"

But this leads to irreparable family ruptures.
And often the old generation still has levers (ownership, historical relationships) to block everything.

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The 5-step method:

1. Clear role definition
   → Who has authority over what, without ambiguity
   → Formal governance, no longer just family dynamics
2. Mutual respect for competencies
   → The old generation brings relationships and experience
   → The new brings innovation and vision of the future
   → Both are necessary, but on different planes
3. Transition plan with dates
   → Not "someday," but "by when"
   → Gradual and monitored passages
4. Single decision-maker on each area
   → Dual directions end
   → Everyone is sovereign in their domain
5. External mediation
   → A facilitator who isn't emotionally involved
   → Helps distinguish business issues from family ones

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What changes after

The company starts moving again.

Decisions are made.
Strategies are implemented.
The team knows who to answer to and what to do.

The old generation can leave with serenity, knowing the company will continue.
The new generation can lead with authority, without always feeling judged.

And most importantly, the family stays united, because the company is no longer a battlefield.