Succession and Choosing 3rd Party Advisors

Most contractors have gone through the succession process zero times.

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Even those that have gone through the succession process before are typically facing far different scenarios the second time around. 

Succession: Effectively Selecting Your Team of 3rd Party Advisors. Primarily Accountants and Attorneys.

Choosing the right team of advisors will help you effectively explore options and refine the details of your specific succession. Few basic rules:  

  • DO NOT hand over the process to a 3rd party. You own the process. These people are there to advise you, but ultimately, the decisions are yours to own. 
  • Not all advisors will agree and that is okay and even desired so that you can use your analytical skills to make the best decision.  
  • Not all advisors will be good at all stages of the process.
  • Your existing attorney, CPA, and consulting relationships may or may not be the best choice for helping you through the succession process. Run them through the same rigorous selection process as other candidates for your advisory team.  
  • Develop a rigorous selection process for picking your team based around the outcomes you want to achieve. Treat this the same as you would for hiring a high-level executive for your team.
  • If you think the fees for some good 3rd party advisors is expensive, check out the cost of a failed succession deal.  

Succession and Choosing 3rd Party Advisors
Continue building value in your business, yourself and your key team members with a good succession strategy....

Succession and Choosing 3rd Party Advisors
Continue building value in your business, yourself and your key team members with a good succession strategy....

Alignment and Ownership and Creating Value
As a construction company grows, it becomes increasingly important to align everyone on the team. Alignment comes from being transparent with your guiding principles or values and living them every day, starting with ownership.
ABC Daily Planning
Effective planning processes are the foundation for great production. The planning process can be seen as a series of tighter and tighter concentric circles with the bullseye being the daily plan. Daily feedback improves performance and mitigates risk.
Succession Fact #2: Desire & Competencies in the Management Team
Succession Fact #2: No exit strategy or deal structure will create desire, alignment, and competencies in the management team. With that said, it is incredibly important that the exit strategy and structure of the deal maintains and enhances the team.