A solid succession plan is the first step to building a generation-spanning design firm. Whether you’re elevating existing employees or hiring additional help, here’s how to carve out a company culture for the long haul.

In 2022, Beverly Hills–based architect Tim Barber did something unfathomable to most principals with their name on the door: He hopped on a plane and flew across the world for a yearlong sabbatical, leaving his award-winning practice without him at the helm. “Obviously, I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t trust my team,” says Barber, who was leaving to pursue a master’s degree in historical and sustainable architecture from NYU London. “I had a few awkward conversations with clients, but they quickly gained trust in the people I already trusted.”

What few outside—and perhaps even inside—the company appreciated at the time were Barber’s years of exploratory conversations with peers and employees he hoped to elevate to partners; behind-the-scenes planning with financial consultants; and careful calibrations within the firm that went into making that moment possible. The sabbatical effectively served as a stress test for the company, giving him a clear understanding of what his firm might look like once he stepped out of the picture. To his great comfort, the future looked bright.