Everyone already knew
We assumed the announcement would be a surprise. It was not. Staff notice when the owner starts taking calls with the door shut and an accountant visits three Tuesdays in a row.
The uncertainty in that gap does more damage than the news itself. If we did it again we would agree the communications plan before due diligence, not after.
The founder's habits were the system
Half the operating procedure lived in one person's head: which customers get called back first, who is allowed a credit note, which supplier is reliable in December.
Documenting that took months and could not be rushed. It is why we now build a handover period into every offer rather than treating it as an afterthought.
Nothing improved in week one
The temptation to arrive and change things is strong. We resisted it, and it was the right call. The first ninety days were spent listening.
Almost every good idea we later implemented came from someone who already worked there.