For the Woods family, who had seen succession in other farming businesses result in conflict or damaged relationships, engaging Oasis was about being proactive and intentional. They wanted to ensure their family did not become another statistic.
Suzanne Woods, Director
With multiple generations working across the business, succession was raising a range of complexities. Some of their children had returned to the farm from other pursuits, while others were keen to continue their lives and careers elsewhere.
They needed structure, fairness, and for roles and responsibilities to evolve while the next generation built the skills and confidence to take on more.
Being a farming business, they also carried significant land and assets, in addition to debt, meaning the transition needed to work for both the family and the business.
The work began with the people, with the whole family brought into the process, including those who were not going to be involved in the business day to day.
Through the Enneagram, they each developed a greater understanding of themselves and how they relate to each another.
This understanding has helped family members see situations from different perspectives and navigate expectations.
It also reinforced that succession is not an on-off switch. As people learn the ropes and have greater capacity to participate, their influence can gradually grow.
The transition is still a work in progress, with the family aiming to progressively transfer the knowledge that has made the business successful, while giving the next generation time to grow and learn.
They also have different generations at various life stages, with competing priorities and unique perspectives. Making space for these differences, rather than letting them become a source of conflict, has been an important part of the process.
For the Woods family, the real value of their succession planning with Oasis has been the focus on people and relationships alongside commercial realities.
Rather than creating a line in the sand between generations, the process has been collaborative – and helped family members to understand where others are coming from and work towards a shared future.
This has been is particularly important when some family members are involved in the business and others are not, and when decisions need to balance the family's interests with those of the business.
Suzanne Woods, Director
