Coaching for two senior leaders in conflict

Resolve communication difficulties and conflict between leaders

When there is conflict or ineffective communication between senior leaders, it's often more effective to coach both people together than to coach one or both people separately, yet few coaches do this. I call it dyad coaching, systemic coaching of the working relationship, not just the two individuals.

Some common two-person issues that I can help with:

• There appears to be interpersonal conflict, but might this be at least partially driven by lack of alignment or other issues elsewhere in the organization?
• Previous misunderstandings or conflicts have never been resolved and continue to impact current working relationships.
• The conflict has escalated to where one or both leaders might leave, or be fired. The organization loses either way.

When two leaders can't work together

Two senior executives

The conflict between two senior leaders has reached a point where they are unwilling to work together. The ripple effect of the conflict has now spread to their teams. Dyad coaching can help the leaders to see how alignment and rewards might be impacting their relationship and how to break through the stories they have told themselves about the other leader.

Co-founders and business partners

As new businesses grow, co-founders and partners can have different visions of the future or different ideas about their roles that go unaddressed. Dyad coaching can help the partners to recognize and to resolve the issues that have created friction between them.

A leader and their direct report

A direct report has been asked to change certain behaviors and there is a lack of change. The leader thinks they have been clear, but how clear have they been about what needs to change and about the consequences of not changing? Coaching the leader together with their direct report can help the more senior leader understand where they are being unclear and the direct report to communicate when they need more clarity.

How dyad coaching works

I meet with each leader to understand the conflict from each of their perspectives, and often with a senior sponsor who has a vested interest in an improved relationship between the leaders. I then help each of the leaders to understand the other person's viewpoint, as well as the impact of the conflict on the organization, through individual and joint meetings.

Coaching one or both of the leaders individually doesn't let the coach see the interaction between them, or coach both leaders together in real time. Traditional mediation might help to resolve a specific issue, but often doesn't address the relationship between the leaders in a way that prevents future conflicts.