The final report of STOB regions' Slovenian Partner Regional Development Agency Kranj,BSC Kranj's Succession planning pilot workshops is now available to access from our library here.
Succession planning pilot workshop in brief:
Background and rationale :
In response to a high percentage (83 %) of family businesses in Slovenia, and the fact that close to 82 % of companies plan to transfer the company to the next generation in addtion to clsoe to 75% are still operated by founding generations. Due to the relative youth of family businesses in Slovenia, there is unfortunately no extensive experience and/or systematic approach available in order to assist these businesses and families to be able to proceed further to the next generation.
Workshop objectives:
The ultimate objective of the project was to develop a methodology for assisting family business for a smoother entry into transition process. direct work with 11 family businesses over a period of 20 weeks. By the end, at least some of the families should have had written succession plan, ready to go and their clear and honest commitment to carry on with the transition activities.
General activities:
• introduction to the program, presentations of participants,
• strengths and weaknesses of family businesses,
• opportunities and threats of family businesses,
• sources and management of conflicts,
• organizational peculiarities and “Should I stay or should I go?” dilemma,
• intra and intergenerational differences and conflicts,
• family business constitution and long-term vision,
• family business and business family finance (with a guest speaker),
• legal aspects of family businesses (with a guest speaker),
• succession plan for next generation.
The main findings from the pilot project can be summarized as follows:
• a definite need for family business (and other SMEs) consultation services
• There is a need for a development of a standardized systematic approach for the consultation on this matter.
• The robust framework of dual methodology is a combination of (1) group work backed by the methodology of free associations and (2) consultation on the business level (both, group and individual) proved to be a good practice.
• Even the family businesses which express high level of commitment at the beginning of the process may find that they are simply not ready yet once the process goes deeper in the resolution of the possible barriers to planning.
• The rate of 50% of those which enter the process and end up with a written succession plan should already be seen as successful.
Read the detailed report here, also to access the key recommendations to improve the workshop's methodolgogy.
