At the moment, our family company lacks a structured succession strategy. A few casual talks have taken place about "who could take over," but no formal documentation or consensus has resulted from them. Different expectations of the future can cause great conflict, particularly between the older and younger generations.
While some of the younger in the generation are thinking more long-term—how to modernize, grow, or even just keep things going smoothly if someone unexpectedly steps back—the older generation tends to operate with a "we'll figure it out when the time comes" attitude. This uncertainty makes people hesitant to act as no one actually knows exactly what their future function will be.
It also has an impact on daily dynamics. Occasionally, decisions are taken with short-term thinking since there is no obvious future responsibility allocation. It might cause dissatisfaction misinterpretations, and even a worry that all the effort being put in today will not be acknowledged or carried on correctly later on.