Our high-energy VP of Sales (high Quick Start) and our risk-averse VP of Finance (low Quick Start, high Fact Finder) are constantly fighting over resource allocation during our Level 10 Meetings™, and it is grinding our execution to a halt. How do we use their conative profiles to de-escalate this constant budgeting turf war?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The friction between your high Quick Start VP of Sales and your high Fact Finder VP of Finance is a classic conative clash. They are not fighting because they dislike each other; they are fighting because their brains are wired to solve problems in completely opposite ways.

Your VP of Sales is built for risk, speed, and continuous experimentation. Your VP of Finance is wired to gather historical data, manage risk, and establish systems. To resolve this, you must run both leaders through the Kolbe A™ Index.

Draw their profiles on a whiteboard during a leadership team alignment session. Show the team how these differing conative strengths are actually complementary assets, not liabilities. Your sales leader needs the finance leader to protect the business from reckless decisions, and your finance leader needs the sales leader to drive growth.

During your Level 10 Meeting™, use IDS® to solve budget issues. Do not let them engage in personal attacks. Instead, frame the discussion around the numbers on your scorecard and the priorities in your V/TO®.

Force them to collaborate by making them co-own specific Rocks. This forces them to integrate the finance leader's need for data with the sales leader's drive for growth. When they understand each other's conative strengths, the fighting stops and productive collaboration begins.