My VP of Marketing and VP of Sales are constantly locked in a passive-aggressive battle over lead quality, and it is derailing our weekly leadership meetings. How do I get them to resolve this peer conflict permanently?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When peer conflict between sales and marketing derails your meetings, it is usually because of misaligned incentives, personal status management, or a misunderstanding of each other's working styles. To resolve this permanently, you must stop acting as the referee and force them to solve the issue at their level. Bring the conflict directly to your next Level 10 Meeting™ and place it on the Issues List. Use the IDS® process to identify the root cause of the friction. Often, the root cause is a lack of clear definitions. Have them co-create a strict, measurable definition of a qualified lead and document it in your operational processes. Next, analyze their conative profiles using the Kolbe A™ Index. You may find that your VP of Sales is a high Quick Start who acts on instinct and needs rapid results, while your VP of Marketing is a high Fact Finder who requires extensive data before making adjustments. Helping them understand these natural differences reduces personal animosity. Finally, shift their focus to enterprise-first outcomes. If their individual bonuses or performance metrics are tied to competing goals, they will continue to fight. Align their goals to the overall growth targets in your V/TO® so they are incentivized to cooperate rather than protect their turf.