Aligning the board and turning conflict into a strategic lever
Aligning the board and turning conflict into a strategic lever
When generational complexity becomes an opportunity for leadership to evolve
Role / department
Country Manager, Chairman, CEO, Founders and board members
Industry
Biomedical
Areas of intervention
Strategic relational dynamics · Assertive and decisive communication · Strategic leadership
A mid-sized international company in the biomedical sector, highly specialised and with complex governance, where the first and second generations of the founding family are both actively involved.
Starting point
The Country Manager, who had joined the company about two years earlier and was recognised for strong management skills, was dealing with constant tension with the founders, who were still active and sat on the board.
The main issues concerned:
- diverging views on strategy
- conflicts over managing people and talent
- misalignment on business development
- opposing approaches to organising processes
This situation led to:
- slower decision-making
- ineffective communication
- difficulty steering the company towards shared goals
The challenge
Design an intervention able to:
01 Bring different generational perspectives into harmony
02 Turn conflict into constructive dialogue
03 Strengthen the Country Manager’s authority
04 Make the board more aligned and effective
05 Speed up decisions and improve their quality
The 6unico! journey
1. Initial analysis and governance alignment
Direct involvement of:
- the Country Manager
- the Chairman
- the CEO
- the Founders and board members
Aim:
- bring the different viewpoints to the surface
- legitimise the different positions
- build common ground
Key principle that emerged:
no one is right or wrong; everyone sees things from a different perspective
2. Executive Coaching for the Country Manager (12 sessions)
Focus:
- strengthening authority in communication
- managing relationships with senior figures
- the ability to steer complex conversations
- developing more strategic and influential leadership
3. Conflict management consulting (board – 4 meetings)
Activities:
- exploring the points of conflict
- introducing relational negotiation techniques
- agreeing shared ways of discussing issues
- building a “communication pact”
4. Individual coaching for board members (3 sessions each)
Focus:
- practical application of the techniques
- handling discussions effectively
- aligning behaviour with the new vision
- improving internal communication
The transformation
01.
Relationships and governance
- more balanced relationships between generations
- fewer unresolved conflicts
- a more cohesive board
02.
Communication
- smoother, goal-oriented dialogue
- greater clarity in discussions
- higher-quality decision-making interactions
03.
Leadership
- a more authoritative and incisive Country Manager
- more aligned and shared leadership
- a greater ability to steer a complex context
The results
Board and organisation
faster, clearer and shared decisions
a more consistent and inspiring vision
higher internal engagement
Business results
talent retention: +5%
company profit: +53%
optimised sales strategies
more efficient cost management
