Senior executives clash on critical initiatives. How do you foster collaboration amidst their differences?

Post-conflict management, once a decision has been made in favor of one of the two senior executives, is just as crucial as resolving the conflict itself. Restoring a collaborative dynamic between the executives is a test for both the CEO and the individuals involved: one must resist the temptation to capitalize on the success of their proposed solution, while the other must respect and fully embrace the decision without hesitation. Personally, I hold senior executives in high regard when they can put their ego aside and graciously accept a decision that opposes their recommendation. It is also the CEO’s responsibility to foster a framework and team spirit that encourages this mindset.

The Senior executives in a country like India come from various backgrounds with diverse experiences as on date. It is but obvious that the perspective to see the same issue would be different, and the risk appetite, future outlook of the company may also differ. It's important that the leadership believes in open dialogue. As on date, when starting a new initiative, whilst its best to get everyone on the same page, it is not always possible to get them on the same wavelength. What is critical is to ensure that the drivers of the initiative are aligned and aware of the concerns. These discussions also serve as a checks and balance system and a sense of accountability. Conflict as disruption can be constructive as long as it doesn't deter.

Casting a vision Sometimes there is a need of one vision between the team on where are we heading and why. The where and why most of the time would ease someone conflicts in the how. The more the where and why are better netted the easiest it is to solve the how. Therefore, maybe it’s better to put more time and combination on that base.

One thing that really helps is the power of collective vision - a future state that is unambiguous and better for the organization and ultimately everyone. This has to be communicated often. So when there are inevitable conflicts, the convergence point will be that frequently communicated common future for the organization and everyone. Conflict is a good thing when done in a professional, respectful and forward looking manner. When dissenting voices are shut down and become quiet in an organization, it's not a healthy thing. An environment of psychological safety that allows professional dissenting views should be encouraged. However, these views should all be ultimately geared towards promoting and achieving organizational goals.

Ensure that objectives are aligned. Often people think they are, but in fact they are not. Even modest differences, in reward structures, recognition, or peer pressures, can result in very different outcomes.

Doing team-building exercises, aligning goals and KPIs, clarifying roles and responsibilities, and periodic management reviews are some of the basic management techniques one can and should practice anyway. However, creating or having a common larger Vision is critical! Having done a few Vision, Mission, and Values exercises culminating into Strategy, in my experience, is a very effective way to bring top leadership closer together. It also brings a renewed sense of working out individual fiefdom differences in favor of the larger collective purpose. So, if you see your top management team becoming a bit dysfunctional, I would recommend stepping back for a collective Vision, Mission, Values, and Strategy refresh exercise!

Encourage open dialogue by creating a space where differing opinions are welcomed and respected. Implement structured brainstorming sessions to explore solutions from multiple angles. By fostering a culture of transparency and active listening, senior executives can better appreciate each other's perspectives. Additionally, using data-driven insights to guide decisions can help shift the focus from personal viewpoints to what benefits the company as a whole, promoting collaboration despite differences.

I’ve always believed in open dialog and my approach to that is to start the dialog by reiterating where I believe we sre as a team and getting consensus regarding our starting point. Then I like to focus on not only our common ground but establish the areas where we agree before jumping in to where we disagree or where we haven’t found common ground. If you’re lucky it may surprise you how much you agree on before diving in to where we disagree. Starting with the positive generally is a better place to start.

Fostering open and transparent communication among senior executives is key to resolving conflicts and encouraging collaboration. Establish regular forums for discussion where leaders can openly share their views, challenges, and ideas without fear of retribution or dismissal. In addition to formal meetings, encourage informal interactions that help build rapport and trust. When executives feel that their opinions are valued and heard, they are more likely to engage in constructive conversations, find common ground, and be open to compromise when needed.

sich an einen Tisch setzen und so lange diskutieren, bis jeder die Argumente der anderen Seite geh?rt und verstanden hat, und dann kommt man meistens sehr schnell zu einem Konsens, denn allzu oft entstehen Differenzen, weil man sich nicht richtig zuh?rt und die Argumente der anderen Seite nicht versteht. Die Kunst ist es, Brücken zu bauen

? Los altos ejecutivos, navegan por mares de incertidumbre. Un #marcodedecisión es su GPS en esta travesía. Este "mapa" empresarial guía a los líderes a través de las aguas turbulentas, asegurando que la #tomadedecision se tome sobre datos sólidos y objetivos. Al igual que un mapa detallado, un marco de decisión establece los hitos y criterios para evaluar cada opción. Esto evita choques entre diferentes puntos de vista y garantiza que todos estén remando hacia el mismo destino: el éxito de la empresa. ?? Un marco de decisión es una brújula que orienta a los equipos directivos. Evita la incertidumbre, fomenta la transparencia y alinea hacia un objetivo común. Es una inversión en el futuro de la empresa. éxitos!?? #LiderazgoEmpresarial

When senior executives clash on critical initiatives and have very strong opinions then their supervisor needs to hear both sides and render a decision on how to move forward. Most often this takes the form of a decision briefing where all sides get briefed with the pros and cons. The senior leader makes a decision which may even be a hybrid of both. Either way, a decision is made and the way forward is directed and mapped. Second, there will be updates on progress and resourcing to ensure the initiative decision is being followed. In the end, different points of view were communicated and discussed. A decision was made and a way forward initiated.

To foster collaboration amidst senior executives' differences, use the TEAM approach: T – Transparency: Encourage open communication to clarify goals and align interests. E – Empathy: Understand differing perspectives, fostering respect and trust. A – Accountability: Ensure each leader is responsible for their role in the shared objective. M – Mediation: Facilitate constructive discussions, focusing on solutions and common ground. This fosters unity and drives critical initiatives forward.

Positive conflicts are essential for organizational growth, provided they contribute to the mutual advancement of the company and align with its mission and vision. A modern technique to resolve such conflicts involves developing an advanced regression model to enhance business intelligence. By collecting and analyzing the viewpoints of conflicting stakeholders within this model, data predictive analytics can serve as the decisive factor. This approach is more inclusive and convincing, effectively aligning all stakeholders.

A discussion framework is a good way to start communication and share each teams view points. Will bring together the teams and few expert and common sense teams together in a room. And ask them write down their concern on the board, each and every one from the team seating in the room will contribute in the discussion. This will help in giving respect to everyone’s concerns and will deliberately discuss on pros and cons of each concern which will leads to understanding each teams view and problems can be addressed with mutual understanding.

Finally, fostering a culture of continuous learning among senior executives can help them adapt to different perspectives and collaborate more effectively. Encourage them to seek out professional development opportunities, whether through workshops, industry conferences, or peer networking. By expanding their knowledge and understanding of various aspects of the business, executives can better appreciate their colleagues' viewpoints and work together more harmoniously.

This happens when there are multiple teams working on a single project and more so when they are in different countries. It's like culture eats strategy. It's important for a leader to communicate that all teams are important but everybody can't come first. There are stages in every project, the first step is as critical as any other step. It's not about the teams or executives but it's the strength of the team to deliver. I would initiate a road map and ask them to contribute their plan of action in writing to find the right fit. Nobody is unreasonable unless they see clarity or they have super ego. Either way the problem doesn't exist once the road map is built.

Reading about constinuous learning makes me think that there are different strategies to learn, and even some of them include practicing to clash on critical decisions. This is difficult to segregate between learning and managing. We have these functions turned on all the time and simultaneously. On the other hand, we are trained to communicate much more from inside out than from outside in. When we can control ourselves to listen to, and to give momentum to other's collaborations, it connects with respectful communication. Because in front of us we usually have intelligent leaders, sometimes on the other side of the decision table. This is also learning.