Do you work with a partner? Did you start a business with one or more people with whom you now work on a daily basis? If so, you know that it can be relatively tricky to work with a partner, and over time, this relationship can become emotionally charged, tense or even boring. Like other important relationships in your life, you have to work on a business partnership in order for it to work well long-term.
One way you can work on your partnership is to be intentional about being kind and emotionally intelligent with each other. If you’ve worked with someone for a while, you know how they tick, and you can talk through things that may hamper your working relationship, such as bad moods, exhaustion, differing opinions and more. Sometimes, simply talking through things can be an act of kindness because it allows both parties to get their feelings out in the open.
If you are struggling in your relationship with your partner, you may also want to try and reconnect over the things that brought you together in the first place. If you started a business together, it was probably over a common talent or passion. By getting back to that, you may be able to find middle ground on some problems or disagreements that keep popping up in your relationships.
It may also be helpful to remember that each of you have different strengths and talents. You do not have to agree all the time or even see things from the same perspective to work well together. Give each other room to play to your own strengths, and use those differences to your advantage.
Partnerships take work in order to work well. It’s important to put the time and effort into ensuring you both feel understood and appreciated. With intentional effort, you can have a healthy and successful partnership for years to come.
By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC