What to do when shareholders, founders or partners are misaligned
CJ Dicks · South Africa · Alignment
Misalignment at the top is expensive because the business keeps operating while the real decision is held somewhere else.
The first step is to separate positions from interests. What each party says they want is rarely the whole issue. The real question is what risk, control, value, timing or personal concern sits underneath the position.
The second step is to bring the conversation into a structure where the business can be protected while the people decide. Without that structure, the disagreement leaks into the team, customers and cash.
An outside advisor is useful when the people involved still need to work together, or still need to separate cleanly, and the internal conversation no longer has enough trust to move by itself.
Sources and context
- Companies Act 71 of 2008
- CIPC business rescue information
- IoDSA King IV Report