a. Generational change
In a successful medium-sized company, the founder and senior partner has transferred management and company shares to his son. The senior partner wants to enjoy his new freedom on the golf course and travelling. From now on, the junior partner is to run the business alone. However, from the outset, the senior partner interferes in his son’s management of the business. The son finds this disruptive and patronising. The conflicts between father and son become increasingly intense, threatening to escalate to the point where the son no longer wants to run the business and is considering withdrawing from management.
On the recommendation of the company’s tax advisor, an experienced business mediator is brought in. In the mediation process, all points of contention between father and son are resolved after an exchange of interests and the development of possible solutions. In the end, the junior partner remains managing director and continues to run the business alone and successfully. The father is finally able to enjoy his freedom to the fullest. Peace has been restored both in the company and in the family.
b. Merger
Two car dealers want to merge because their dealerships are located just a few kilometres apart and both locations – which are both profitable – sell the same car brand. The customer base is too small for two dealerships to generate good business for both. The car manufacturer is also calling for the merger for economic reasons.
The conflict quickly becomes apparent, as both car dealership owners demand the sole managing director position; this – as the subsequent mediation shows – is for different reasons and interests. In the course of the mediation, these different interests are worked out and solutions can be developed that allow all parties to come out as winners. The managing director positions were divided according to interests and strengths in a success-oriented manner.
c. Staff turnover
For some time now, more and more employees have been resigning from a company. The reasons for this are not apparent to the management. Even open discussions with the staff have not helped the management. Staff turnover is causing a great deal of stress and unrest within the company. The remaining employees have to compensate for the work of those who have left, which is why dissatisfaction is also growing among these employees. The next wave of resignations is looming. The current work situation makes it much more difficult to hire new staff. The costs of the conflict are high: hiring a headhunter; time for job interviews; dissatisfied staff, loss of efficiency, loss of revenue, training time for new colleagues; more stress and unrest in the company; further resignations.
The management learns about the possibility of mediation from a business partner and subsequently commissions a business mediator. In a few confidential discussions, the mediator is able to uncover the reasons behind the wave of resignations among the employees and, thanks to self-developed solution options, stop the wave so that the company can once again look to the future with confidence.