When Goliaths Clash: Managing Executive Conflict to Build a More Dynamic Organization

Howard M. Guttman9780814407493, 0814407498

Conflict in the executive ranks often snakes its way down to the trenches, polarizing entire organizations and undermining morale, productivity, and corporate goals. But managed correctly, the passion that powers these conflicts can be turned into a high-performance fuel that transforms not just executive relationships but the mechanics of the whole company.When Goliaths Clash shows how to treat conflict as a business issue, achieve positive outcomes from divisive relationships, and identify the different sources of conflict, from assumptions, values, and wants, to stylistic clashes and organizational conditions. The book combines real-world strategies drawn from the author’s consulting experience with the results of a 10-year survey of more than 300 executive teams. Packed with examples from companies like Johnson & Johnson, L’Oreal, Motorola, Phillip Morris, and more, this constructive book will help unlock horns – and open the door to more productive relationships throughout entire organizations.