CONFLICT RESOLUTION
No family business escapes conflict. Sometimes the issues are small and the relationships are strong. At other times the issues can be larger and more serious. For example, we often see cases where different branches of the family don’t get along well. In those situations, families either erupt or avoid dealing with the issue. Neither is a healthy solution for the business or the family.
Open Aperture aims to make working through a range of tough situations as painless as possible.
Open Aperture is experienced in helping family businesses resolve conflict. How? We first work individually with all of the involved people to understand the issue and each person’s perspective on it. We ask good questions that sometimes help people who are in the middle of emotional turmoil step back and see a bigger picture. We then bring people in conflict together for facilitated conversations. Of course, success depends on the willingness of the people to listen, acknowledge which piece of the problem they “own,” and compromise for the benefit of the business.
Keep scrolling to understand our Conflict Resolution Process.
THE PROCESS
We start conflict resolution by working individually with the conflicted parties to understand each person’s perspective. This includes asking questions to gain clarity, but also helping the person understand better for themselves their motivations, beliefs and assumptions that are driving their side of the conflict.
Ultimately the goal is a facilitated conversation. A neutral third party that understands everyone’s “side of the story” can be a tremendously beneficial force in the room. So frequently, conflict is escalated by assumptions that are not accurate, and we can deal with those easily in that environment.
What’s left is real conflict, but a facilitated conversation allows people to express their feelings, opinions and beliefs about a situation without it turning into an argument. Sometimes it takes more than one conversation, but eventually – as long as people really want to put the interests of the business and family first – the issues are resolved.