Conflict management is the use of techniques to resolve disagreements or control the level of discord. Conflict resolution techniques include facilitating meetings for the conflicting parties to identify the problem, discuss resolutions and create superordinate goals that require cooperation from conflicting parties.
Conflicts and misunderstandings always exist in families. Managing conflicts is key not just to the survival of the business but to the survival of the family itself. Family members need to establish strong and well-structured business relationship.
The purpose of conflict management is to teach conflict resolution skills such as managing conflicts, self-awareness about the different formats of conflicts and produce effective communication while in a team member. These skills assist teams in establishing a positive outcome from conflict and overall, reducing conflict on a whole.
Its Contribution to Family Businesses in Kenya.
Family -owned businesses represent the majority of enterprises in Kenya and employ around 65% of the workforce. The nation gross domestic product relies heavily on family -owned and run companies, therefore, the health of the family predicts the status of economy (Business daily o4, Aug 2019)
Family Business Challenges: Lack of Conflict Management Mechanism.
One of the challenges that we have seen arise in many family businesses is that family members may lack a forum for discussing the business. Formal structures like family councils and boards can offer family members a safe, organized way to bring up issues and negotiate conflict.
Formal Structures: Many, if not most, family firms lack formal processes to mediate disputes, making it difficult to prevent quarrels from developing into ongoing woes. Given this, how can your business manage its disparities in a way that brings stakeholders closer instead of driving them apart?
How can you develop a systematic way of addressing hot-button issues before they hamper company progress? How, in fact, can you transform conflict into a positive force that sparks improvements in your business’s bottom line?
To implement conflict management mechanisms, that’s where IFFB comes in. As your trusted advisors, we can help your family at every stage. No matter where your business is on its journey to success, we can be at your side with the insights and solutions you need to stay fit for growth and moving forward at the right pace.