“If I don’t figure this out, one or both of us getting fired.”
“If I don’t figure this out, one or both of us getting fired.”
My client Marie, a seasoned CCO, was done.
"I don't even want to talk to her. Just thinking about meeting with her makes me feel stressed."
"Her" was the CRO, who Marie had to work with daily, and who was equally critical to the success of the business.
Somehow they'd gotten to a place where they could barely be in the same room.
Every meeting felt like a fight. Marie dreaded their 1:1s. She couldn't see a way out that didn't end with one or both of them getting fired.
But Marie wasn't ready to give up. She knew she was good at her job. She didn't usually have trouble working with people. And deep down, she believed this other person was someone she could work with - if they could just figure out how.
So we did the work.
We spent time on Marie's side of the table: shifting her mindset, figuring out how she could show up differently. What stories was she making up about the CRO that might not be true? What did the business actually need from both of them? What would it look like to bring curiosity and openness instead of fear and defensiveness?
Marie brought this new perspective to her CRO. And over several months, through thoughtful and careful conversations, they created a complete reset.
They got back on the same side of the table, started collaborating effectively, and discovered they actually enjoy working with each other.
And surprise surprise:
Marie realized that she and the CRO were both buying a story sold to them by their (all male) senior leadership and board.
The story? That they weren't getting along.
Turns out, all the men in the room kept telling the CCO and CRO they had a problem with each other. And eventually, these two leaders started to believe it.
They were more than capable of building business success together. They just had to stop listening to the men in the room telling them they couldn't.
"What's a story someone sold you that you wish you'd questioned sooner?”