Deconstructing Conflict: Understanding Family Business, Shared Wealth and Power

by Doug Baumoel, Blaire Trippe

Overview

Deconstructing Conflict draws upon nearly fifteen years of experience in which Doug Baumoel and Blair Trippe have helped scores of enterprising families navigate the challenges of owning and managing together as family. Based upon their groundbreaking methodology known as "The Conflict Equation," the book presents five foundational concepts to help readers deconstruct conflict into its component parts. It will help you understand the reasons that underlie all conflict, what triggers active conflict, and why conflict can be so extreme and intractable in family business systems. This book will arm family business stakeholders and their advisors with the most cutting-edge thinking for achieving generational success in family enterprise.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780996425605
Publisher:	Continuity LLC
Publication date:	06/17/2016
Pages:	226
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.48(d)

About the Author

Doug Baumoel has spent the majority of his career in and around family businesses, having served as the second-generation leader in his own family's business and holding executive posts in other family-operated companies both in the US and abroad. Widely respected for his insights on leadership, governance, succession and conflict management in family enterprise, he writes and speaks extensively, and is the Founding Partner of Continuity LLC, a global firm working with family businesses and their stakeholders. Educated in engineering at Cornell and with an MBA from Wharton, he holds a number of distinctions, including Fellow of the National Association of Corporate Directors and the Family Firm Institute.

Blair Trippe is an experienced negotiator, mediator, and family business consultant. As a co-creator of the specialized field of elder mediation, she transformed the practice of helping adult siblings manage the issues confronting aging family members. With a background that includes executive posts on Wall Street and in other corporate settings, she is the Managing Partner of Continuity LLC and has served on numerous boards. Her grasp of family enterprise systems has garnered the trust of a wide range of family business executives, board members, and other stakeholders. She earned an MBA at Northwestern's Kellogg School, studied psychology at Connecticut College, and earned certificates in negotiation and mediation through the Program on Negotiation at Harvard University.

Table of Contents

Foreword xiii
Acknowledgements xvii
Chapter 1 Introduction and Foundational Concepts 1
Understanding Some Key Terms in This Book 6
Importance of Continuing Relationships 14
A Systems-Thinking Approach to
Managing Family Business Conflict 15
Summary 17
Chapter 2 Understanding Conflict in a Family Enterprise 19
Why Does Conflict Occur? 21
Identity-Based Conflict 24
Conflict vs. Dispute 27
Interdependence 29
External Factors 30
Time 31
The Conflict Equation 31
Summary 32
Chapter 3 Deconstructing the Conflict System 35
The Power of the Equation Format 35
A Preview of The Conflict Equation 37
How It Works 39
How is The Conflict Equation Helpful? 40
Component Categories of The Conflict Equation 41
Summary 45
Chapter 4 Deconstructing the Reasons for Conflict 47
Opposing Goals 49
Incompatible Values 50
Historical Impasse 52
Summary 55
Chapter 5 The Trigger for Conflict: Disrespected Power 57
Types of Power 59
When Respectful Uses of Power Are Perceived Negatively 63
Disrespected Power as Conflict Trigger 64
Summary 65
Chapter 6 The Family Factor: The Most Powerful
Component in The Conflict Equation 67
Deconstructing the Family Factor 69
Building the Family Factor 76
Summary 80
Chapter 7 Managing Conflict 81
Dispute Resolution Approaches 82
Releasing Blame 94
Development 96
Improving the Family Factor 104
Adjusting Interdependence 104
Summary 105
Chapter 8 Applying The Conflict Equation 107
Conflict Component Review 109
Data Collection 112
Developing a Conflict Management Plan 119
The Essential Role of the Conflict Manager 130
Summary 131
Chapter 9 Interdependence:
The Structure of the Family Enterprise System 133
Understanding the Family Structure: The Genogram 135
Understanding Legal and Economic Connections:
Document Checklist 144
Understanding Family Enterprise Strategy:
SWOT Analysis 144
Understanding Stakeholder Roles: The Stakeholder Map 146
Summary 156
Chapter 10 The Psychology of Enterprising Families 159
Bowen Family Systems Theory 160
In-Laws 167
Wealth Disparity 169
New Wealth 170
Narcissism 172
Entitlement 175
Substance Abuse and Addiction 176
Neuroscience 177
Summary 178
Chapter 11 Conclusion 181
Best Practices for the Family Business 182
Beginning Your Journey 183
A Word About Family Business Consultancy 185
Deconstructing Conflict 185
Epilogue 187
The Conflict Equation 189
Appendix 191
Bibliography 197

Editorial Reviews

"If you've ever been caught in the devastating undertow of family business conflict, this book offers hope and a way back to shore." -Doug Stone, Author, Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most "Doug and Blair give those of us committed to multigenerational family enterprise a roadmap for survival." -Lansing Crane, Sixth-generation retired Chair and CEO, Crane & Co. "Deconstructing Conflict is an indispensable guide that outlines the perils and benefits of family business systems, and offers practical and wise advice for keeping those systems intact." -Susan Hackley, Managing Director, Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School "This is an incredibly smart and accessible... must-read for any family business, and for all families facing conflict." -Partha Bose, Author, Alexander the Great's Art of Strategy "Family business consultants, mediators, and family business owners will all benefit from the wealth of insight and experience captured in these pages." -David Hoffman, Lecturer on Law, Harvard Law School

From the Publisher