Conflict Resolution in Family Owned Businesses

Dan Blank -- Expert Business Source, 2/25/2007 6:44:00 AM

When personal conflicts between members of a family owned business are not dealt with in a timely manner, they can put the company at risk. Don’t wait until a genuine business crisis forces out smaller issues, making a critical situation even more complicated. BusinessWeek looks at how to deal with conflict resolution within family owned businesses.

They recommend using the DESC method of dealing with the issue. The acronym uses the following elements:

• Describe.
  Describe the behavior/situation as completely and objectively as possible. Use facts, and avoid generalizations.
• Express.
  Express your feelings and thoughts about the situation/behavior. Try to phrase your statements using "I", and not "You," which tends to make people defensive.
• Specify.
  Specify what behavior/outcome you would prefer to happen.
• Consequences.
  Specify the positive consequences if a behavior change occurs.

The key is to not belittle or embarrass anyone, and do not stage the confrontation as a winner/loser scenario. For a more detailed expamples, check out BusinessWeek.com.