Handling Conflict Proficiently

The WIFU Foundation’s publication *WIFU_compact_20: Handling Conflict Proficiently* (2023) explores the importance of a professional and structured approach to dealing with conflicts within entrepreneurial families. The starting point is the realisation that unresolved conflicts can jeopardise family cohesion just as much as they can undermine the family business’s ability to operate and its very survival.

This issue explains why the aim is not to avoid conflicts, but to recognise them at an early stage and address them in a solution-oriented manner. Based on the Witten Model of Family Strategy Development, a set of reflective questions is presented to help entrepreneurial families systematically examine their attitudes towards conflict, existing risks, and options for prevention and intervention. It emphasises how important it is to keep the family and business spheres clearly separate, particularly in the event of a conflict, in order to prevent escalations.

Another key focus is on embedding conflict resolution within family governance. The publication outlines a range of approaches – from internal family discussions, through external facilitation and mediation, to arbitration. The publication is based on the Practical Guide: „Conflicts and Conflict Dynamics in Entrepreneurial Families“ by Arist von Schlippe and Tom A. Rüsen (2020) and highlights that conflict management skills are a key competence for shareholders.