Here's how you can navigate conflicts between senior leadership in a consulting firm.

Sometimes, it is best to observe and gather the facts. Avoid politics and stick to the project's goals and objectives. Be loyal, thoughtful and supportive. Most of all, put your ego in your back pocket and listen.

Well, this happens in the best of places. There might be reasons for that. Therefore, the first thing you need to do is understand WHY? ask the question HOW? did we come to this? and do not listen to one party but to all parties - I can share my experience here, our top manager used to bring both parties to the table whenever there is a misunderstanding and listen to both parties, and clear the atmosphere - he did it in a magical way. Some might suggest that you need to encourage compromise, for me I would say, give each one their rightful rights, but be ready to implement solutions that you would generate after understanding the situation. Throughout you need to focus on the goals of the consultancy firm, and of course the pride of each.

The most important thing for understanding issues is never to assume. Take time to identify each leader's underlying causes, interests, and concerns. Facilitate open and honest discussions (this is the most difficult part) to gain deeper insights into their perspectives and redirect the conversation towards shared objectives. Employ logical reasoning to depersonalize the conflict and focus on practical solutions. This approach can help promote collaboration that can resolve the conflict.

I would break this down to: 1. Is there a trust deficit? Most conflicts arise when there is lack of or no trust. This is not easy to fix without fixing the reason for distrust If there is no trust issues, it should be approached in 2 stages: a. Understand - what caused the conflict, how did it arise, whose involved and is there a common ground that we can start from to build on and is there a middleground b. Seek to be understood - no point digging your heels and going into attack/defence mode. Instead, clarify, communicate and explain Most of the time it’s about the lens through which we see issues yet it’s two sides of the same coin!

Sometimes, the situation between senior managers can feel as tense and rigid as ice. Formal meetings with their structured, cold nature can often lead to increased inflexibility. In such cases, taking advantage of informal settings can help to "melt the ice." Casual conversations over coffee or during lunch can create a more relaxed atmosphere, making it easier for managers to open up and discuss their concerns more freely. However, it's important to note that informal meetings should complement, not replace, formal meetings based on trust. Formal meetings are crucial for ensuring accountability. The combination of both informal and formal interactions can foster a more collaborative and understanding environment among senior managers.

Beware of the noises in the conversation. Part of what is said comes from facts, other part comes from emotions. Emotions are needed but can blur the parties perception. You need to separate both to not get influenced and run a clear Dialogue.

Imagine you're orchestrating a peace summit. Two leaders, let's call them A and B, are at odds. You set up a roundtable chat—no swords, just words. You guide the convo, making sure A doesn't interrupt B’s epic monologue. And vice versa. It's like a verbal cameo. By creating this safe space, they start seeing eye to eye. Maybe they both want the firm to conquer new markets, just with different battle plans. That's the common ground. And! They're not rivals; they're allies. Your firm's success? It's their shared victory.

I am trained in CoResolve and the structure is really simple yet profound. I'd probably use that. Firstly you set up safety rules with both parties, you would need to discuss some of the key pirnciples under pinning the process to help them with mindset and intent, then each party expresses their opinions or views until they've essentially cleared out all their "arrows" and have said all they need to. The real power of the process comes in the final stages where each person owns the thing that hit home for them (the arrow that struck a chord) and the they each look at how they can bring than new awareness back to the situation at hand and find resolution. The process is extremely powerful and cathartic.

Focuing on shared goals and objectives is mostly required! 1- Identifying the core goals of the firm (client satisfaction, revenue growth, & market positioning). 2- Facilitate open discussions in order to express one's perspectives and concerns. 3- Encourage leaders to align their personal goals with the firm's objectives, fostering a collaborative rather than competitive environment. 4- Implement structured decision-making processes, such as consensus-building or majority votes, to resolve disagreements. Additionally, promote transparency and regular communication to preempt misunderstandings and foster trust. Also a third-party facilitation can be beneficial in helping to refocus discussions on the firm's overarching goals.

While the sentiment, focus on goals, is often what people work towards and should not be excluded, to dismiss the grievance or personal needs of the team often impacts working together in the future. The world of work must be a place where celebrating diversity of thought, autonomy and understanding the needs of the team is crucial to success. The work and personal life is colliding more and more and to omit the personal needs or to ONLY rely on the business needs and not the people that make that business goal happen and function is not leading, it's managing. You don't manage expectations as a leader. You lead and engage with people. Remember that.

My experience is that when goals are not aligned, which is very often the case, conflict emerges. This points to lack of clear focus at the highest levels of the enterprise. To really 'fix' the conflict - you've got to 'fix' the misalignment...

3. Foco nos Objetivos Comuns: Lembre-se dos objetivos da empresa. Os líderes devem trabalhar juntos para alcançar metas compartilhadas, colocando o bem da organização acima de suas diferenças pessoais. Ouça ambos os lados, compreenda suas perspectivas e busque um terreno comum

Keep up the great work, and adapt your approach based on the specific context and personalities involved Conflict resolution takes time. Be patient and persistent in guiding leaders toward a resolution.

Many times in any negotiation it is not possible to reach an agreement on minimum action between the different parties, and all the efforts made seem to have been in vain. However, any rapprochement effort is a step towards a solution.

When leaders are in conflict, it is always bad for the company. It shows that there is a misalignment in vision. Sometimes, this is necessary though. Resolution can only come through compromise and realignment to that vision. The parties in conflict have to remember that the company, not their personal views, should always come first. They both may need to give up a little to attain a genial solution that benefits the organization.

Encourage compromise as a key component of conflict resolution. Help senior leaders identify areas where they can make concessions to reach an amicable solution. Emphasize that compromise is not about surrendering values or vision but finding a middle path that respects everyone's contributions. By guiding leaders through the negotiation process, you can help them arrive at a mutually satisfactory solution, preserving relationships and maintaining a positive work environment.

Para encontrar soluciones válidas para ambos líderes es importante practicar el concepto de pensar fuera de la caja, o salir al balcón. Quiere decir buscar nuevos enfoques al problema desde fuera sin estar influenciado por intereses particulares, y tratando de que las soluciones aceptables por ambas partes partan de los propios negociadores. Es la única forma en que serán efectivas. El e mediador puede actuar siguiendo el método socrático, o mayeutica. Guiando la conversación con preguntas que puedan dar lugar a encontrar puntos de encuentro

Conflicts are inevitable in any workplace. Innovative solutioning is needed to resolve conflicts specifically amongst senior leadership who are highly invested in the organisation and its betterment. Example - (1) facilitate brainstorming sessions or encourage employees to explore creative alternatives that address the interests and needs of all parties involved; (2) focussing on shared goals and vision to drive the interests of the global teams and organisation as a whole, etc.

Potential solutions could be to stagger resource allocation across competing priorities (say allocate to operational efficiency program first and then once it starts showing results gradually shift focus and investments to digital transformation), or share common resources across to maximize utilization.

Para poder implementar las soluciones de manera efectiva, estas debe de partir de las partes negociadoras, y el valor creado con las mismas es el óptimo de cada situación, en un juego de ganar-ganar. El problema sigue un sistema dinámico de decisiones-acciones-consecuencias y nuevas decisiones. Si el espíritu del acuerdo y los valores están claros, se pueden reformular las decisiones concretas a lo largo del sistema dinámico. Evitando futuros conflictos y optimizando los resultados

Implementation is key. During my time at strategy consulting i went to great length to ensure that every resolution or solution came with clear action plan and defined roles, followed by rigorous monitoring to sustain progress.

Monitor the situation after the initial resolution to ensure that the agreements are being implemented and that the conflict does not resurface. Regular check-ins can help reinforce positive changes.

Maintaining harmony post-conflict is vital for sustained success. Continuous monitoring and support are key. For instance, after resolving a significant conflict in my role in Singapore, I implemented regular check-ins and encouraged open dialogue between the leaders involved. This proactive approach helped reinforce their working relationship and prevented future issues. By fostering a culture of mutual respect and collaboration, we not only resolved the immediate conflict but also built a stronger, more cohesive leadership team prepared for future challenges. This ongoing commitment to harmony ensures long-term stability and enhances the firm's resilience.

Wanting senior leaders to maintain harmony after a dispute is an objective that can end up being toxic to people and their organization. Business life is way too complex to think that no incident will happen again or no issue will create tensions in the future. Rather than trying to maintain an artificial harmony, it is much more useful to support senior leaders to lead vigorous conversations where they pay attention to their own needs and needs of people around them. That approach increases their chances to nurture healthy debates and foster creativity rather than trying everything they can to avoid disagreements. Consulting firms don’t grow on consensus, but by welcoming diverse points of views and managing disagreements in a healthy way.

Wanting senior leaders to maintain harmony after a dispute is an objective that can end up being toxic to people and their organization. Business life is way too complex to think that no incident will happen again or no issue will create tensions in the future. Rather than trying to maintain an artificial harmony, it is much more useful to support senior leaders to lead vigorous conversations where they pay attention to their own needs and needs of people around them. That approach increases their chances to nurture healthy debates and foster creativity rather than trying everything they can to avoid disagreements. Consulting firms don’t grow on consensus, but by welcoming, diverse points of view and managing disagreements in a healthy way.

Posso agregar a este item, colocando a necessidade de se marcar uma agenda de reuniões entre o facilitador e os líderes individualmente e sistematicamente uma agenda coletiva para medir o grau de alinhamento com as decisões tomadas e a harmonia relacional

Conflict between senior management and consultants is very common. In most cases, the consultant will have conflict with part of the senior management team, not all of them. Often, these are preexisting issues within an organization, such as positioning within the organization or other consultants creating friction or doubt, simply to get a contract. In order to create harmony, or avoid discord, it’s important to engage slowly and not to shed too much light on issues as this may expose people and past decisions. One step at a time and everyday one step forward. You’re there to provide expertise and perspective. Not everyone will be on board, and make sure that you have a couple of good sponsors.

A useful way to start understanding conflict resolution in a consulting firm is to realize that what you THINK influences how you FEEL, which influences how you ACT. Your actions come from how you feel. If you want senior leaders to resolve a conflict in a consulting firm, help them interact at a deeper level than the facts and the transactions that link them. Guide them to connect to their own emotions and needs in order to be open to listen to the emotions and needs of the people with whom they are in conflict. A conflict by nature is not a factual thing, it is an emotional thing. Helping senior leaders to connect with each other at a deeper level is a sustainable way to help them grow and navigate through business life challenges.

Na minha vida como executivo vivi muito estes conflitos e em minha opinião baseado na minha vivência e experiência o mais importante é focar nos Objetivos Comuns, "cruzando" as metas dos executivos. Por exemplo, o Diretor de vendas ter de 10 a 20% de seu bônus indexado ao desempenho operacional e o Diretor de operações ter de 10 a 20% de seu bons indexado ao desempenho de vendas. Assim os interesses se alinharão e trabalharão com menos conflitos. O desempenho da outra área também pode ser um acelerador ou freio de bônus. Isso também funciona.

Conflicts can be best resolved by confronting. Usually, confronting paties stand their ground initially by defending their own views & then being stubborn about not giving in as if it would kill their self respect. An amicable solution can be reached if & when the conflicting parties: 1. Accept own limitations, 2. Understand how everyone has a role to play to their own strengths, 3. Understand that their individual strengths can compliment in the achivement of common goal, 4. Decide individual boundaries & act in collaboration to project a well knit organization rather than islands of individual talents. All of the above can happen only if the conflicting parties come face to face with the conflicting 'issue' & not 'each other'.