Using a mediator for iamily business disputes

HE woRD "coNFLrcT" HAS gotten a lot of bad press.

Rather than seeing conflict as a natural and predictable aspect of human interaction-a process that, if managed properly, can often lead to growth and new solutions-people tend to see it as a failure on the part of the disputants. This is unfortunate, because conflict, when channeled positively, can be a creative, energizing. and even a healing force.

In family businesses, where the twin currents of family and business run through so many decisions. conflict is inevitable. While conflict presents challenges for any organization. internal conflict in family businesses has a special complexity.

It is often the product of experiences preceding, and factors outside of, the business issues that spark the immediate dispute. The conflict may have started years earlier on the playground, around the dinner table, in birth order. or even in a previous generation. The history may be silent, invisible, half-forgotten, but it is often a powerful presence in the conference room. I have seen businesses become stymied by conflict that has little or no connection to the business problem at hand.

The process of mediation can play an invaluable role in resolving family business conflicts. It can direct energy away from old grievances and toward finding business solutions for busi-

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