Our Visionary and Integrator are struggling to stay aligned on daily execution, resulting in mixed messages to the rest of the leadership team. How do we use our Kolbe A Profiles to diagnose our communication gap and build a stronger partnership?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Friction between a Visionary and an Integrator is almost always conative, meaning it stems from a difference in how you instinctively take action and solve problems. To resolve this, you must analyze your respective Kolbe A Profiles to identify where your problem-solving methods clash.

Typically, a Visionary has a high Quick Start score, meaning they naturally generate ideas, seek change, and act on instinct. The Integrator often has a higher Follow Thru score, meaning they naturally seek structure, build systems, and look for sequential order. When these two profiles interact without understanding, the Visionary feels micro-managed and restricted, while the Integrator feels overwhelmed by the constant stream of unvetted ideas.

Draw your Kolbe results on a whiteboard to visualize your differences. Acknowledge that the Visionary's role is to create ideas, but the Integrator's role is to filter and execute them. Establish a rule that the Visionary cannot launch new initiatives directly to the team. Instead, all new ideas must go to the Integrator first during a scheduled, weekly Same Page Meeting™.

By using your Kolbe profiles to understand your natural strengths, you can shift from frustration to appreciation. The Visionary learns to respect the Integrator's need for order, and the Integrator learns to leverage the Visionary's creative energy, creating a united front for the business.