Four months of arguments. Then three weeks to clarity. The difference was not the people.

Four months of arguments. Then three weeks to clarity. The difference was not the people.

A family business wanted to reorganise a management layer. First attempt: the discussion immediately turned to who would get which role. Every practical question became a turf war. For four months, no decision was reached — not because the people were difficult, but because the sequence was wrong.

Second attempt, three months later: define the structure first — target picture, interfaces, areas of responsibility. Then describe the roles, independently of names. Only then settle the staffing question.

The result: a decision in three weeks. Same people, same interests — different sequence.

Start talking about names too early, and structural questions quickly become questions of power. Structure before roles before people takes the personal element out of the conflict and makes change negotiable.

#OrganisationDevelopment #Leadership #Change