50 Common Causes of Family Business Conflict ... and how to deal with them.  

Family Business Mediation Video No 47. Emotional Trauma.   

By Jon Kenfield. Solutionist & Family Business Mediator.  

•  Psychology is the science of understanding how people think, feel, behave and learn.  

• I’m not a psychologist - other than at the “chicken soup” end of the scale - however, more than 20 years spent working with denizens of business families provides many opportunities to observe how people do actually think, feel, behave and learn - and the consequences for themselves, their families and friends, and the people they work with.  

• Personal emotional trauma sits quite high amongst serious causes of conflict in those business families.    

• Sometimes causes were accidental:- unforeseen and uncontrollable events, such as a home or car accidents.  

• Sometimes economic or political - recession, depression, or war.  

• Sometimes environmental - fire, flood, famine, drought, pestilence.  

• Sometimes domestic - violent or abusive homes; absent, broken, inadequate or misguided parenting; lack of emotional intelligence or support.  

• All causes create trauma.  All trauma can lead to disruptive behaviours and dysfunctional relationships and, while these can be countenanced in a family they don’t go down well in business.  

Solution  

• The first and by far the most important response is:  take courage and be honest.  If a family member’s emotional trauma is causing bad behaviours, somebody has to own the problem and help to create a solution - the damaged individual almost certainly can’t do it alone.    

• Don’t hide reality due to personal guilt, embarrassment, or excess of protectionism - that only reinforces bad behaviours and eventually leads to explosion or implosion.  

I'm interested in your comments below.  Thank You.