12. When to tell the team & what to share.

When to tell the team and what to share

Timing matters. Tell the team too early, and you risk uncertainty without answers. Tell them too late, and you risk breaking trust. Dave had to find the balance. With guidance from RegenerationHQ, he decided to share his plans once he had clarity on two things—his intent to exit, and the first steps in the process.

He started by telling his senior leadership team. These were the people closest to the core operations, and the ones who would carry much of the transition on their shoulders. They needed time to process the news and ask their questions before being asked to support wider communication.

About two weeks later, Dave brought the full team together. He kept the message clear and straightforward. He explained that he had made the decision to step away from the business, that it was a process—not an event—and that he was working with John and the team at RegenerationHQ to ensure the transition was structured and smooth.

He was open about what he knew and what he did not. He shared why he had made the decision, reassured the team that the business was strong, and made it clear that no immediate changes were happening to roles, contracts or daily operations. The goal was to create stability, not panic.

Sharing at the right time, with the right message, helped Dave keep control of the narrative. It also gave the team a sense of inclusion and certainty at a time when they could have easily felt unsettled.

Building trust and managing emotions

As soon as Dave shared his decision to exit, he could feel the shift in the room. Some people nodded quietly. Others looked surprised. A few glanced at each other, trying to read the tone behind his words. It was clear that while the announcement was calm and structured, people were still processing what it meant for them.

John had prepared Dave for this. Sharing the decision was just the start. What mattered next was how Dave responded to the emotions it stirred. Trust would not be built through one announcement. It would be built through how consistently he communicated, how available he was for conversations and how open he was to hearing concerns without brushing them aside.

Dave gave people space. He made time for one-on-one chats, asked how people were feeling and stayed open to whatever came up. Some staff worried about job security. Others worried about the direction of the business. A few felt uncertain about whether their roles would still matter.

By listening without rushing to fix everything, Dave built trust. He stayed steady and didn’t overreact. He repeated key messages—not because people weren’t listening, but because they needed reassurance more than once.

Trust is built in how you show up when people feel unsure. Dave showed up with honesty, patience and respect. That approach did more than settle nerves. It reinforced the culture he had built over the years and gave the business a stronger footing for the transition ahead.

 Managing ambition, disappointment and fear

Once the dust settled from the initial announcement, different emotions began to surface. Some team members started asking what this meant for their future. Would there be new opportunities? Could they step up? Others looked unsettled. They had counted on Dave being around. They were worried about change, job security or being left behind. A few were simply disappointed—they had expected to be part of Dave’s long-term plan and now it was shifting.

John helped Dave prepare for this. In any business transition, people will process the news in their own way. Ambition, disappointment and fear are normal reactions. What matters is how those feelings are acknowledged and managed.

Dave had one-on-one conversations with key staff. For those with ambition, he was honest about the opportunities ahead—but careful not to overpromise. For those feeling left out or let down, he gave them space to speak openly. He listened, without being defensive. He explained that this decision was not about leaving the team behind, but about setting the business up to succeed without him.

The biggest shift came when Dave invited input. He asked his team what they wanted from the next chapter and how they saw their own roles evolving. This helped people feel part of the change, not subject to it. It turned passive reaction into active engagement.

Managing emotions during exit planning is not about controlling how people feel. It is about creating an environment where those feelings can be heard, understood and worked through together.

Creating leadership clarity for the future

Once Dave announced his plans to exit, one of the first questions that came up—both spoken and unspoken—was who would be leading the business going forward. Without clarity on leadership, uncertainty can quickly turn into hesitation, second-guessing or even disengagement.

John and the RegenerationHQ team helped Dave approach this with structure. The first step was to separate roles from personalities. It was not just about who might take over, but what leadership the business would need for the next phase. That meant looking at existing roles, identifying gaps and defining what a future-ready leadership structure should look like.

Dave worked closely with his senior team to map out responsibilities and decision-making authority. Some roles were adjusted, new accountabilities were introduced and temporary overlaps were put in place where needed. Most importantly, the team knew what decisions they were responsible for now—not just after Dave left.

Dave also made leadership more visible. He stepped back from being the default spokesperson and gave team members more presence in key meetings and client interactions. Internally, he made it clear who to go to for what. That helped staff adjust and made sure leadership didn’t disappear into a vacuum.

Creating leadership clarity helped reduce anxiety and gave the team confidence that someone would always be at the wheel. It also showed buyers that the business was not just losing a founder—it was gaining a leadership structure ready to carry it forward.

Keeping operations stable during uncertainty

Once Dave announced his plans to exit, he knew that even with strong communication, there would be an underlying sense of uncertainty. People would be watching closely. Would things start to change? Would priorities shift? Would day-to-day operations still run smoothly?

John and the team at RegenerationHQ were clear—exit planning should never come at the cost of operational consistency. If the business started to wobble, confidence from both staff and potential buyers would drop. The goal was to maintain business-as-usual performance while preparing for change in the background.

Dave took this seriously. He resisted the temptation to launch into big structural changes or delegate everything too quickly. Instead, he made sure existing systems continued to run well. Meetings kept their rhythm. Customers got what they expected. Orders went out on time. He also made sure the leadership team had the support they needed to stay focused on results, not just on transition.

One practical step was to keep a clear line between transition planning and operational execution. The team met regularly to track business performance and had separate check-ins to manage the exit process. This helped prevent confusion and kept everyone grounded.

By staying calm and consistent, Dave sent a clear message—yes, the business was preparing for change, but it was still solid, reliable and performing well. That stability became one of its strongest selling points. The wrong choice could set the business back.

Talk to us about your exit journey. www.regenerationhq.co.nz/contact