What Should an Employee Transition Team Focus on?

An employee transition group should meet regularly to learn more about the potential transition, evaluate the offer, and make and needed decisions about the structure of the business. Here are some topics areas that the group should focus on:

Why become employee owned?

  • What were other firms’ motivations 
  • What are employees’ needs and desires 
  • What is good about workplace democracy or shared ownership? 

What does ownership mean?

  • What does ownership mean? Freedom? Profit? Loyalty?   
  • What would the rights and responsibilities of employee owners be? 
  • Wt needs to be written into bylaws or operating agreements and what is a cultural practice?

Who decides what?

  • What is the circle of membership, governance, and management?
  • How does leadership work at all levels?
  • What is the role of outsiders – technical assistance, unions?

How do owners have managers?

  • What is participatory management?
  • What is financial transparency?
  • What is accountability systems?

What does a board do?

  • How does a board channel members’ voices?
  • How does a board oversee management?
  • How does a board pursue business strategy?

Can we afford it?

  • How does the company generate profit?
  • What is the business valuation and preliminary sale price?
  • How could employees afford to buy in?