Our leadership team is constantly arguing about how to execute project plans. Half the team wants to jump straight into action while the other half demands weeks of research. How do we resolve this conative friction?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

What you are experiencing is not a personality conflict or a lack of alignment. It is conative friction, which is a clash of instinctive problem-solving styles. To resolve this, you need to measure and understand the conative strengths of your team using the Kolbe A Index.

Your team likely has a mix of high Fact Finders and high Quick Starts. High Fact Finders instinctively need to gather deep data, research historical precedents, and gain absolute certainty before taking action. High Quick Starts, on the other hand, thrive on risk and uncertainty, wanting to experiment and iterate on the fly.

Both styles are valuable, but when they do not understand each other, they clash. The Quick Starts think the Fact Finders are slow and bureaucratic, while the Fact Finders think the Quick Starts are reckless and chaotic.

Use your Kolbe profiles to assign tasks based on these natural strengths. When launching a new initiative, let your high Quick Starts brainstorm and design the initial concept. Then, pass it to your high Fact Finders to verify the data and build out the systems.

By formalizing this hand-off on your Accountability Chart and acknowledging these natural methods of operation, you transform destructive friction into a powerful balance that drives both speed and stability.