Conflicts are inevitable in any large organization, and these conflicts, in particular, to the board of directors, can often be costly for the company both in terms of real dollars and in lost organizational focus. However, based on the best practices in the management of conflicts, the author suggests that organizations can adopt a comprehensive approach to conflict quickly within the board, which makes use of four resources available to any organization. First, it is the board itself. Directors and boards should take the lead in solving their own problems and disagreements with the most constructive approach possible. Councils also need to install a set of internal and external resources. Internally, they can rely on resources such as the General Counsel, Chief Ethics and organizational ombudsman. Externally, organizations can rely on mediation and arbitration, as well as investigative counsel. In the case of last resort, the board can rely on state resources, such as the courts and government agencies. However, this approach may not be enough. The authors propose a new role. Council of the Ombudsman for the very competent, independent and confidential resource that can help directors and boards to deal with effective, informal methods, such as through negotiation or shuttle diplomacy "Hide
by Ralph Hasson Source: MIT Sloan Management Review 6 pages. Publication Date: 01 Oct 2006. Prod. #: SMR228-PDF-ENG
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