The theme of succession in family based SMEs is an important and complex issue involving the companies themselves and the whole business environment, from suppliers to customers. This issue becomes relevant in Europe, where more than 90% of the businesses are SMEs, mostly family based.
Skills4Succession project wants to design, develop and test learning tools and methodologies and to face and cross the succession process in a successful way.
Funded by the European Commission Erasmus Plus programme, the Skills4Succession aims to help raise awareness and help SMEs to understand the succession process. Its main goals are:
- raising awareness towards the actual leaders that it’s time to prepare the succession.
- identification of the best moment to act.
- support on the identification and selection of the most adequate successor/heir.
- preparation of succession plan and support with its implementation.
Foreseen Outputs
- Tools for scanning opportunities and training needs to start succession process.
- B-learning to Implement a Sustainable Succession in family based SMEs.
- Trainers and coaching resources, for a common methodology on coaching for Sustainable Succession in family-based SMEs.
What’s a scanning tool?
It’s a tool of diagnosis and awareness raising. It aims to make the succession process sustainable, focusing on the skills needed by company leaders, heirs and key staff.
How does it work?
The Scanning Tool consists of a set of online questionnaires (targeted at the leader and the possible successor when he/she is already appointed ) that determine the status of “preparation” to start a succession process, especially regarding the skills CONFLICT MANAGEMENT, LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, LEADER AND FINANCE.
Both leaders and potential successors can take in the scanning tool in different moments of the company life cycle to get to know the status of their skills to start the process of succession.
After taking and submitting the due questionnaire, and for each set of skills, the tool will automatically give a visual presentation of your status.
It will also give orientation on how to improve the correspondent skills to be better prepared for the succession process.
Visit https://www.skills4succession.eu/ to discover more about this project or contact us if you are interested in take part.
by Carolyn Usher
International Project Manager & Trainer/Coach
Carolyn joined Inova in 2011 and is a Project Manager, trainer and coach. She is passionate about development and supporting people to achieve their dreams. Carolyn has a PGCert in Coaching and Mentoring from Sheffield Hallam University, BA in Communication and Cultural Studies and a MA in Cultural Policy and Management.