Problems in the Partnership? Fix the Communication

Problems in the Partnership? Fix the Communication

I’ve found a common problem with communication when I’m conducting mediation meetings. People always think they know what the other party is thinking. They’ll say things like, “I know Bill won’t like this, but I think…” Opening your thoughts with that sort of lead in is going to put ‘Bill’ on edge before you even make your point. Never start by negatively setting the stage. So then, how should you start a conversation about a hard subject? In this post I’ll give you the 7 steps to conduct less tense and more fruitful meetings with your business partner.

Can You Be You with Your Business Partner?

Can You Be You with Your Business Partner?

Partnerships are much like romantic relationships. When it’s all new and exciting, we can easily become infatuated to the point of overlooking differences. After all, don’t the differences make the partnership stronger? Sometimes. Most often differences magnify with time and become triggers to arguments. As time goes by, the differences you ignored become important. What do you do when the differences break the partnership?