Conflict is built into our family and business lives. While it tends to be viewed negatively, it can provide opportunities for constructive change. It becomes a problem when it is avoided at all costs and when it becomes personalised and polarised.
Some families have developed effective and novel methods for handling dayto-day business conflicts. Consider the Mitchell family, for example.
The Mitchell family has a rule that no one can speak out of turn at family council meetings; the person who has the floor must finish his or her statement before another family member can begin to speak.
During one council discussion about family privileges, emotions were running high and family members were constantly interrupting one another.
Finally, Gavin, the youngest of three sons, suggested that each
