Wie jedes Unternehmen, bietet auch der Familienbetrieb eine Plattform für Mobbing. Ein Unterschied besteht darin, dass im Familienunternehmen meist auch Söhne, Töchter, auch entfernte Verwandte und Schwiegerkinder in irgendeiner Funktion aktiv teilnehmen. Daraus ergeben sich nicht selten informelle Hierarchien, die mit den formellen nicht übereinstimmen. Zusätzlich und vielleicht noch tief greifender kommt zum tragen, dass jede Familie ein in sich geschlossenes, energetisches System ist. Ein solches ist auch das Unternehmen. Und diese unterschiedlichen Systeme, mit all ihren eigenen Verflechtungen und Geschichten, greifen in- und übereinander.

Family Enterprises and Mobbing

Abstract 

When working with members of family enterprises, whether as a coach or mediator, we have to take at least one additional playing field into account where mobbing can and does take place. Usually more than one family member will work at a family owned company.

Next to formal hierarchies, informal ones tend to develop in family enterprises more easily and frequently than in non-family businesses.

The family system's interests do not always conform to business interests. All individuals, regardless of which system they belong to, give priority to their own personal interests. This is the human nature. A person who is a member of a family and of its enterprise at the same time "wears more than one hat on the head" and therefore faces the challenge of split loyalties. Often different (mis-)perspectives blur a person's vision and make him or her take sides. Jealousy, envy, disregard for the given order, and sometimes mere misconceptions are just some of the seeds of conflict.

Mobbing happens during one of the early stages of escalation. Family enterprise are particularly susceptible to surfacing conflicts when the time of generation change and transfer of control approaches and when the questions of succession and inheritance arise. An increasing number of family members wish/need to have a "piece of the pie". Rarely do all of them see eye to eye about the question of input versus payout. Often it is only one of the persons involved in an escalating conflict who steps forward and seeks help from the outside. A coach will then use helpful tools, such as family/business constellation to guide this person towards solving his or her situation. The client will gain new perspectives and probably modify his or her own point of view and attitude. This may open a door and bring some of the other conflicting parties to the negotiating table.

If indeed such a quantum leap is possible, a qualified coach will suddenly find himself/herself in the role of mediator. This of course raises the question: Can the coach assume this responsibility? Only if the coach has given adequate room to the client's strengths and wealnesses, as well as those of the conflicting parties, he or she will have served the client well up to this point. In this case I believe, however, that a coach must take on this challenge unless a second mediator can be accepted and brought in at such an advanced stage. Although the question of neutrality may be raised as an issue here, the level of trust reached with one person may just be the one step needed for all to meet at eye level.

A timely call on external professional assistance will help to discover new perspectives and further potential. Faced with such a situation, everyone should indeed take advantage of the possibilities and chances coaching and mediation can offer. Early intervention paves the way towards (regaining) the prosperous continuance of enterprises, holding family bonds together and preserving both values and assets.
©Theo Brinek

Der Artikel erschien in einer russischen Übersetzung in dem Magazin "Mediation und Recht. Vermittlung und Versoehnung ", Russlands erstem Fachmagazin für Mediation.
http://www.mediationandlaw.ru/ 

Lesen Sie die russische Übersetzung hier: brinek.ru.18.078

Der Beitrag wird auch demnächst in "perspektive mediation " erscheinen.

Lesen Sie die deutschsprachige Originalversion hier:  brinek_familien-mob_med_3_16_086