Digital Dealer - November 2019 - 7

CONFLICT IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON AREAS
OF FAMILY AND BUSINESS BREAKDOWN, AND IT IS
ONE OF THE EASIEST AREAS TO OVERCOME."
read that right. There are
times, and I am sure you
have experienced them
where the conversation
or situation has flown well
past the avoidance stage.
Engaging directly in conflict
often looks like an argument
or heated disagreement.
When family is involved with
work this often takes place
in the presence of non-family employees - further
deteriorating the overall
morale of the workplace.
To spot this stage you will
see raised voices, yelling,
maybe throwing items,
physical interactions, and
even abuse.
When family and business get to this point, we
create a culture of misinterpretation. We move from
working towards a common
work or family goal into
making judgments based
on self-interest. We tend
to forget that there is more
than one person engaged
in the conversation in which
all are wanting what is best
for both the family and
business.
The good news is that
conflict management can be
learned. Just like any other
skill to develop, you can
seek out help for you and
those with whom the conflict
is taking place. Overcoming
conflict, especially in communications, does not come
easy, however with the right
help and the work, you can
not only overcome it but
also prevent it in the future.

Conflict is one of the most
common areas of family
and business breakdown,
and it is one of the easiest areas to overcome.
Working with family-owned
dealers through these
steps has fostered better
relationships, stronger
understanding, and an
authentic willingness to
come to a common ground
- and know when and how
to engage or not in certain
conversations. For exam-

ting unknown expectations.
Have you conveyed to
those who have expressed
interest in the business,
or those in your family unit
who you would like to be
involved in the business
your expectations? If so,
is it clear what is expected
of them, and do they know
their role in the organization?
 Receiving rewards
from the business - the
car business, like other

WORKING TO BUILD
ON THE FOUNDATION OF
FAMILY AND BUSINESS
HARMONY, THERE ARE
ALSO 'EXPECTATION
LANDMINES' TO AVOID."
ple, talking about a negative situation taking place
at work is probably not
prudent when passing the
serving dishes around the
table this family holiday.
Working to build on the
foundation of family and
business harmony, there
are also "expectation landmines" to avoid. Now that
you know the conflict can
be overcome, addressing
potential unknown or false
expectations might be a
strong next set of bricks to
the foundation:
 Working in the business - dealers are guilty of
having good intentions in
the business, but with that
comes the creation of set-

family-owned businesses,
relies on the business to
pay or subsidize some of
the family perks. For example, with dealers we see,
cars, gas, group medical,
salaries higher than others
in the business, etc. This is
traditionally done to benefit
family, directly and indirectly, involved in the business
and goes on for a timeframe
without any problems. If
the family member is not
directly involved in the
business as this is taking
place and then they come
into the workplace picture,
they are not on the same
playing field in terms of
expectations for work
versus reward. Likewise, if

D I G I TA L D E A L E R . C O M

there are family members
receiving these types of
benefits who do not work in
the dealership, an imbalance is created between
those working versus those
who are not.
If family harmony and
business success are your
objectives, then it is critical
that you honestly evaluate
where you stand in terms of
the expectations of family
members. Expectations are
extremely important and
must get clearly stated and
defined. If you're unsure
where to start, consider
going through a planning
checklist. Have an advisor
help you eliminate any potential landmines, and once
you know where you stand
on the important issues,
clear communications can
follow, ensuring the right
messages are delivered to
everyone regarding what
they can expect for the
future of the business and
each family member.
KENDALL RAWLS knows
and understands the
challenges that impact the
success of an entrepreneurial
owned business. Her unique
perspective comes not
only from her educational
background; but, more
importantly, from her
experience as a secondgeneration family member
employee of The Rawls
Group - Business Succession
Planners. For more information,
visit www.rawlsgroup.com or
email info@rawlsgroup.com.

NOVEMBER 2019

7
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Digital Dealer - November 2019

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