We have built our Accountability Chart, but we are experiencing massive conative tension between our head of sales and our head of operations during quarterly planning. How do we use the Kolbe A Index to diagnose and resolve this strategic friction?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Conative tension between sales and operations is extremely common and highly predictable. Your head of sales is often a high Quick Start on the Kolbe A Index, naturally wired to innovate, take risks, and say yes to customers before figuring out how to deliver. Meanwhile, your head of operations is likely a high Follow Thru or Fact Finder, naturally driven to build systems, gather data, and maintain order. This friction is not a personality conflict; it is a mismatch in how they instinctively take action.

To resolve this tension, you must administer the Kolbe A Index to both leaders and visually map their results on a whiteboard during your next quarterly planning session. Compare their scores across the four action modes: Fact Finder, Follow Thru, Quick Start, and Implementor.

- Acknowledge that the sales leader's instinct to move fast keeps the pipeline full.
- Recognize that the operations leader's instinct to establish process prevents operational chaos.

Once the team understands these natural strengths, you can shift from frustration to synergy. Establish clear working boundaries. For example, agree that the sales leader can pitch new concepts, but the operations leader must review and approve the delivery process before a contract is signed. By leveraging their natural conative wiring rather than trying to change it, you turn a source of executive friction into a highly balanced engine for sustainable business growth.