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QUAND LES GOLIATHS S'AFFRONTENT

Gérer les conflits au sein de la direction pour bâtir une organisation plus dynamique

« Lorsque les conflits sont ignorés – surtout au sommet – le résultat sera une entreprise qui rivalisera plus passionnément avec elle-même qu’avec ses concurrents. »

-Howard M. Guttman

« Selon certaines estimations, les managers passent 20 % de leur temps à gérer ou à gérer des conflits. Un manager qui gagne 150 000 $ gaspillera, en termes de rentabilité, 30 000 $ de ce salaire en conflits. Si votre entreprise compte 10 managers, cela représente une perte de 300 000 $ pour votre résultat net. »

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« Gérer les conflits au sein de la direction » – Libérez les équipes performantes

About When Goliaths Clash

 

"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."

The Praise for When Goliaths Clash

"One of the greatest challenges facing today’s organization is to ensure that its top management team is a cohesive, strategically aligned force for change. When Goliaths Clash should be read by all executives intent on turning dysfunctional conflict into honest, open debate; defining clear roles and accountabilities; and growing business relationships that produce results and success."

— Robert A. Lutz, Vice Chairman, Product Development and Chairman, General Motors North America, l Corporation

 

"You will come away from this book with a proven process—but not a cookie-cutter solution—for building high-performance organizations and harnessing the creative forces of hard-charging leaders at every level."

— Carol J. Hamilton, President and General Manager, L’Oréal Paris Division, a division of L’Oréal USA, Inc.

"When Goliaths Clash will help many top management teams and their organizations move from lackluster to top performance. Guttman captures the insights, processes, and techniques that have transformed clashing Goliaths into goal-directed, productive contributors."

— Chuck Nesbit, President & CEO, Sara Lee Intimate Apparel and Hosiery, and Vice President, Sara Lee Corporation

"When Goliaths Clash is a book written from the trenches. It is practical, hard-hitting, and provides lessons in leadership and conflict management that are applicable to leaders in a variety of business situations."

— Marc Robinson, President, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, Pfizer Inc.​

"Too many organizations are consumed fighting internal battles rather than marketplace competitors. When Goliaths Clash shows executives how to bear down on business results, keep organizational energy directed at winning in the marketplace, and lift the fog surrounding the goal of creating high-performance teams."

— Carol Zilm, Worldwide President, Cordis Endovascular, a Johnson & Johnson company

Le livre

Dans un fournisseur de services d’information basé en Californie, le nouveau président a dû faire face à un défi de taille. Il n’y avait pas de communication entre les opérations de la côte Est et de la côte Ouest et suffisamment de sabotages et de coups de griffes pour justifier une intervention de l’ONU. La prise de décision a été bloquée et les ventes ont chuté.

Si on ne les contrôle pas, les luttes de pouvoir, l’animosité, la triangulation et les subterfuges au sein des rangs exécutifs peuvent être dévastateurs pour l’ensemble d’une organisation. Mais lorsqu’ils sont affrontés et canalisés, les conflits peuvent se transformer en une force dynamique pour atteindre les résultats commerciaux.

Ce livre puissant et original montre aux cadres supérieurs comment gérer efficacement les conflits. Il s'appuie sur l'impressionnante carrière de consultant de Howard M. Guttman et sur une enquête menée sur 10 ans auprès de plus de 300 équipes de direction. Il contient également des dizaines d'exemples réels provenant de Johnson & Johnson, Coach, Campbell Soup, Motorola, Pfizer et bien d'autres.

Quand les Goliaths s'affrontent dévoile comment gérer les conflits exécutifs pour bâtir une organisation plus dynamique, combiné à des informations sur la dynamique organisationnelle avec une multitude de conseils pratiques, notamment comment :

  • Alignez stratégiquement votre équipe sur les objectifs commerciaux, clarifiez les rôles individuels et établissez des protocoles pour résoudre les conflits.

  • Créez des équipes hautement performantes, de l’équipe de direction à tous les niveaux hiérarchiques, où les conflits sont dépersonnalisés et traités comme un problème commercial.

  • Comprendre les racines du conflit dans les différences de perception individuelles et les conditions organisationnelles.

  • Communiquez efficacement dans la sphère la plus récente et la plus propice aux conflits dysfonctionnels — le courrier électronique — et minimisez les dommages causés en appuyant imprudemment sur le bouton « envoyer ».

Il existe de nombreux ouvrages sur la gestion des conflits sur le lieu de travail. Mais rares sont ceux qui abordent les conflits débilitants qui éclatent dans les bureaux de direction et qui peuvent déclencher des divisions et des rivalités au sein de l’entreprise. When Goliaths Clash vous montre comment passer d’un conflit dysfonctionnel à un succès compétitif.

L'Auteur

Howard M. Guttman est directeur de Guttman Development Strategies, Inc. (GDS), un cabinet de conseil en gestion basé à Mount Arlington, dans le New Jersey, fondé en 1989 et spécialisé dans le coaching exécutif, la constitution d'équipes horizontales à haute performance, l'alignement stratégique et organisationnel et la formation au développement de la gestion.

GDS a été classé parmi les meilleurs cabinets de conseil en développement du leadership par le magazine Leadership Excellence, qui a également nommé Howard dans sa liste des « 100 meilleurs leaders d'opinion Excellence ».

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Conférences

Howard est un conférencier recherché sur des sujets tels que :

  • « Les grandes équipes commerciales : que faut-il ? »

  • « La gestion des conflits comme compétence essentielle du leadership »

  • « Mettre la performance au service des équipes performantes »

  • « Coaching exécutif : leçons apprises sur le terrain »

  • « Alignement : créer des équipes performantes de haut en bas »

  • « Développer les leaders de demain grâce à l'auto-coaching »

Core Takeaways

When Goliaths Clash by Howard Guttman offers practical strategies for managing conflict, fostering collaboration, and enhancing decision-making in high-stakes business environments. Here are the key points:

1. High-Performance Teams Require Conflict Management
  • Conflict is inevitable in high-stakes business settings, particularly when large organizations or "Goliaths" interact.

  • The book emphasizes that managing conflict constructively is key to creating high-performing teams.

  • Leaders should encourage open dialogue and healthy debates while avoiding personal attacks.

 
2. Aligning Teams and Goals
  • Guttman highlights the importance of aligning individual and team goals with the organization’s objectives.

  • Misaligned goals often result in inefficiencies and internal conflict.

  • Leaders should ensure that team members understand their roles and how their contributions fit into the bigger picture.

 
3. The Role of Leadership in Conflict Resolution
  • Effective leaders proactively manage conflicts by setting clear expectations and fostering a collaborative culture.

  • Guttman advocates for "horizontal leadership," where power and decision-making are distributed across the team, promoting accountability and engagement.

 
4. Decision-Making Models
  • Guttman provides tools and frameworks for improving decision-making, focusing on collaborative approaches that involve all stakeholders.

  • Teams should prioritize data-driven decisions and avoid being paralyzed by analysis.

 
5. Organizational Culture as a Competitive Advantage
  • The book stresses the need to build a strong, adaptable culture to navigate the challenges of large-scale operations and competitive markets.

  • A culture of transparency and mutual respect can transform conflict into an opportunity for innovation.

 
6. Strategies for Handling Large-Scale Disputes
  • The book offers case studies and strategies for resolving disputes between large organizations, such as partners, competitors, or divisions within a company.

  • Key approaches include mediation, joint problem-solving, and focusing on shared objectives.

 
7. Continuous Improvement
  • Guttman emphasizes that conflict resolution and team alignment are ongoing processes.

  • Organizations should regularly assess team dynamics, communication effectiveness, and strategic alignment.

 
Practical Tools and Frameworks
  • The book is rich with actionable advice, including conflict resolution techniques, decision-making frameworks, and team alignment exercises.

  • Leaders are encouraged to adopt these tools to create a sustainable, high-performing organizational environment.

 

In summary, "When Goliaths Clash" is a guide for leaders navigating complex interpersonal and organizational dynamics, offering insights to turn conflicts into opportunities for collaboration and growth.

Buy the Book

Hardcopy and digital formats available:
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Table Of Contents
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Preface xi
Acknowledgments xv

CHAPTER ONE: ANATOMY OF CONFLICT............................... 1

The Two Faces of Conflict....................................................................................... 3
Transforming Destructive Conflict........................................................................ 5
The Roots of Conflict................................................................................................. 8
What Causes Conflict?.............................................................................................. 10
Conflict: Red-Hot or Cool?........................................................................................ 20
Conflict and the Fear Factor.....................................................................................21
Options for Coping with Conflict............................................................................ 21
Outing Conflict.............................................................................................................. 25
Testing Your Conflict-Management I.Q................................................................26

 

CHAPTER TWO: WHY GOLIATHS CLASH............................... 28

Directional Discord...................................................................................................... 29
It’s About Strategy, Stupid......................................................................................... 31
Resolving Strategic Conflict..................................................................................... 32
From Alignment to Action......................................................................................... 56

 

CHAPTER THREE: HIGH-PERFORMANCE TEAMS AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT........................................................... 58

High Performers to the Rescue...............................................................................59
The Way We Were....................................................................................................... 61
The Changing Face of Organizations....................................................................62
The Need for Speed.................................................................................................... 63
Smashing Silos............................................................................................................. 64
It Doesn’t Stop at the Top.......................................................................................... 66
Reaching High Performance: Evolution, Not Revolution................................ 69
High Performance Means Delivering..................................................................... 89
Where Are You on the Team-Development Wheel?......................................... 90

 
CHAPTER FOUR: THE ROAD TO HIGH PERFORMANCE... 93

Creating a High-Performance Team.....................................................................96
Holding Up the Mirror................................................................................................ 97
Looking Inward............................................................................................................ 99
Forgetting Finger-Pointing...................................................................................... 101
Depersonalizing the Data........................................................................................ 102
Reframing Business Relationships.......................................................................105
Embedding Protocols............................................................................................... 108
Assigning Responsibilities/Accountability..........................................................111
Clarifying Goals........................................................................................................... 112
Moving to Stage Four................................................................................................ 113
Becoming a High-Performance Organization...................................................113

 
CHAPTER FIVE:
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT AS ART AND SKILL............... 129

Skills Training: The Need for Self-Reflection.....................................................130
The Primacy of Influence....................................................................................... 131
Baseline Capabilities................................................................................................ 133
Assessing Where Others Stand............................................................................133
Assessing Where You Stand................................................................................. 135
Which Skills, When?.................................................................................................. 138
The Importance of Conflict-Management Skills.............................................165

 
CHAPTER SIX: E-CONFLICT.................................................... 168

E-Mail as a Lethal Weapon.................................................................................... 170
Toward E-Conflict Rules of Engagement..........................................................181
Check Before You Send.......................................................................................... 191
End Note.....................................................................................................................  193

 
CHAPTER SEVEN: LEADERSHIP IN CONFLICT MANAGEMENT............................................................................ 196

Leaders as Role Models......................................................................................... 205
Changing the Leader’s Style.................................................................................. 207
Making Change Stick............................................................................................... 210
The New Leadership Imperative: Letting Go....................................................212
One Style Does Not Fit All...................................................................................... 213
The Challenge of Changing Your Style...............................................................222
Giving Feedback: Ground Rules for Leaders....................................................223
Feedback: A Front-Line Perspective....................................................................225
The Leader as “Dealer”............................................................................................ 228
Honest Leadership................................................................................................... 230
Litmus Test for Leaders......................................................................................... 232

 

End Note...................................................................................................................... 233

 

Index.............................................................................................................................. 235

 

About the Author....................................................................................................... 249

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