Leadership transition plan: handover of responsibilities and continuity

Situations calling for a leadership transition plan

• A departing executive prepares a succession without an inventory of the responsibilities held.
• A designated successor has limited knowledge of part of the company’s commitments and key relationships.
• A family business organises the transfer of leadership from one generation to the next.
• A board of directors seeks to frame a succession and monitor its timetable.
• Current delegations rest on a single person, whose departure threatens continuity.

Process

1. Purchase and onboarding. The client first acquires the intake form CV-13. ASKonsult then opens the secure exchange space.
2. Synchronous scoping. The first session, a 90-minute videoconference, brings together the outgoing executive and the successor. It specifies the terms of the succession, the timetable and the sensitive issues.
3. Asynchronous collection. The company completes the form and provides its dashboards, delegations and commitments. Written questions then flow in both directions.
4. Analysis and correction. The in-house engineering team maps the responsibilities and the risks of disruption, then prepares the handover note. Two 90-minute sessions follow: a review with the outgoing executive, then another with the successor.
5. Synchronous delivery. The fourth session, a joint 90-minute meeting, validates the transition plan and the tracking workbook. ASKonsult then delivers the validated deliverable.

Deliverable

The deliverable is built around a phased transition plan. This leadership transition plan sets out the stages of the succession over time. A handover note accompanies it, informed by the mapping of responsibilities and risks of disruption. A tracking workbook also lists the commitments and key relationships. Finally, an internal communication plan frames the announcement of the succession. ASKonsult delivers the whole set at the joint session, at the end of a 6- to 10-week process.

Prerequisites

The package requires completion of the intake form CV-13. The company also provides its organisation chart and current delegations. In addition, the outgoing executive and the successor remain available throughout the process. Each takes part in a dedicated review session, then in the joint session.

Frequently asked questions

How is the quote for the package established?

A qualification exchange precedes the subscription. It assesses, in particular, the number of functions handed over and the duration of the succession. The special terms then set the scope, timetable, number of sessions, expected documents and deliverable. ASKonsult then creates the order on the basis of the quote. The start date is also set out in these special terms.

Why separate sessions with the outgoing executive and the successor?

After the joint scoping, the package provides for a review session with the outgoing executive, then another with the successor. Each lasts 90 minutes. These separate exchanges make it possible to examine the handover note from each party’s perspective. The fourth session then brings both parties together. It validates the transition plan and the tracking workbook.

What share of the work takes place asynchronously?

The four sessions of the package are held by videoconference, at 90 minutes each, 6 hours in total. The rest of the work takes place asynchronously. The company completes the form and provides its dashboards, delegations and commitments. Written questions flow in both directions through the secure space. In addition, ASKonsult schedules the sessions in advance, in set time slots.

Does the package cover the sale of the company?

No. The leadership transition plan concerns the handover of responsibilities and the continuity of leadership. The sale of shares and the valuation of the company fall outside the package. Likewise, the recruitment of the successor is not part of the service. The legal and tax instruments of the transfer fall within the remit of an authorised professional.

Does information about the succession remain confidential?

ASKonsult treats the information and documents provided as confidential, including dashboards, delegations and commitments. They circulate only through the secure exchange space. Their use is also limited to the purposes of the package. This obligation survives the end of the relationship. Reciprocally, the client undertakes the same discretion regarding non-public deliverables.

What follows the succession?

The tracking workbook makes it possible to monitor commitments and key relationships after the debrief session. In addition, a general management facing investment, institutional or crisis issues may use the Executive subscription (A-03). This tier provides continuous strategic guidance. It also includes a priority qualification channel, limited to one session.

Out of scope

The package excludes the sale of shares and the valuation of the company. Nor does it include the recruitment of the successor. In addition, the legal and tax instruments of the transfer fall within the remit of an authorised professional, to whom ASKonsult refers the client. The leadership transition plan thus concerns the organisation of the handover and continuity.