My Sales Director and Ops Director are constantly at each other's throats. Every leadership meeting devolves into a finger-pointing match about lead quality versus delivery. How do I fix this?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is not a personality conflict; it is a structural and conative disconnect that you are failing to manage. First, look at your Accountability Chart. Are their roles and measurables clean, or is there overlapping territory causing friction? Sales and Operations have natural, healthy tension, but when it becomes toxic, it is usually because they lack shared numbers or clear handoffs.

Second, look at their conative profiles. Typically, a Sales Director is a high "Quick Start" who thrives on risk and rapid experimentation. Your Ops Director is likely a high "Follow Thru" or "Fact Finder" who requires systems, order, and historical data to execute. They are literally speaking different problem-solving languages.

Stop acting as their mediator in one-off side conversations. Bring them into your weekly Level 10 Meeting™ and force them to IDS® (Identify, Discuss, Solve) the issue on the open agenda. Use trust-building principles: establish physical proximity, encourage vulnerability, and establish clear belonging cues. Have them state their goals out loud and trace the exact point where the handoff from Sales to Ops fails. Make them build the system together. If they cannot collaborate to solve the issue, then one or both do not share your Core Values or lack the GWC™ for their seats. Address it directly or change the seats.