Succession planning

The Müller family has successfully managed a medium-sized company for electrical appliances and technical articles for several generations. With the imminent retirement of the father, Mr. Hans Müller, the management of the company is to be passed on to his son, Mr. Paul Müller. The family is keen to ensure the continuity of the company, but there are considerable communication problems between father and son.

Communication between Hans and Paul Müller proves to be difficult; they "don't talk - much". Both have partly different ideas and expectations regarding the future management and direction of the company. Hans Müller, who has built up the company, has reservations about his son's abilities and finds it difficult to relinquish control. Paul Müller, on the other hand, feels undervalued and has low self-esteem.

The main aim of the leadership coaching is to improve communication and cooperation between father and son, to resolve conflicts and to ensure a smooth handover of management. The focus is on creating a basis of trust and recognizing and utilizing the different perspectives and strengths of both parties. Stephanie's sensitivity, experience with different cultures and her work in various international companies were essential. The support included individual coaching sessions to overcome fears and concerns 

about the business handover and ways in which he could better support Paul, as well as developing Paul's leadership skills, identifying strengths and weaknesses and developing a clear picture of his future role. Conflict management was also a very important topic as conflict resolution mechanisms needed to be implemented to ensure that emerging disagreements were resolved constructively and transparently.

After several months of intensive leadership coaching, Hans and Paul Müller were able to improve their communication, build trust and develop a shared vision for the future of the company. The son is less afraid of conflict and expresses his opinions and ideas to his father. The father experiences the inner growth of his son and is pleased. The handover of management went more smoothly and the company experienced a positive change in the management structure, also on the part of employees, which led to sustainable development and a strengthened family business.