It is unfortunate that you have to deal with either of these individuals. You have a fellow manager who had no qualms about tearing into you when you were not present, and a regional vice president who let a meeting deteriorate to the point that one participant attacked another who was not even there.
Although you need to talk to the regional vice president, you should meet first with the attacking manager. Use a questioning mode and indicate that you heard he said some negative things about you, and you were wondering what happened.
He may go in any number of directions, including ignorance, denial, defensiveness, or even an apology. Listen carefully to what he says, as this will play a key role in determining what you will say to the vice president.
Use the questioning mode when you meet with the vice president, and be prepared to support yourself with specific performance data. Ultimately, the three of you will need to clear the air. It will also be important for the rest of the managers to be given the facts, and that's a meeting you should not miss.
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