5 Ways to Get the Best Out of Any Partnership

Relationships that endure for the long haul did not start off as easy as it might look to you now. When young minds hear the story of love or of a vision achieved, we tend only to hear the sentimental part. We hear of couples who have been together for fifty or more years and read of companies that have withstood the storm and in the process become trans-generational. It would be unfair to the work these extraordinary people have put into their achievements if we think what it takes is all “love” for your significant other and “passion” for what you believe in. Believe me, it takes a whole lot more than that. Ask couples and companies celebrating their silver jubilee anniversaries and they will probably have a lot to tell you on that note. What then are the necessary things you need to stop doing for you to achieve the best out of your relationships and business? 1. Stop being busy: You can be crowded with lots of activities, actively and fully engaged with programmes, without giving your attention to the things that really matter. You need to set your priorities straight and when you’ve done so, stop being too busy to attend to them. The best gift you can give your significant other or your business is the virtue of your full presence. Your presence is not just being bodily available but being there in ways beyond that. Leave nothing out when you create time for your priorities. If you do, they will notice and it might jeopardize all you have worked for to get to where you are. Summary: Be present. 2. Stop feeling too comfortable: So, you have achieved what? Let’s say a solid five year-relationship with your significant other and your business started on the right footing and it is rising. The worst thing you can do to it now is to rest your oars and paddle the boat once in a while or not at all. Remember you still have forty-five more years at least to make the best of what you have got. Understand that it is not just about counting the days, the months and the years but about the dedication to love your significant other every day as if you just started yesterday. The authenticity of the passion for your business is only determined by how willing you are to put as much effort and love to it every other day. Partnerships last a lifetime when everyone involved is willing to keep at it and work for it. Summary: Keep being appreciative 3. Practice compromise: We start with an ideal view of how we want our relationships and businesses to run but learning to adjust, adapt, update and upgrade along the way might be the one thing that might save that relationship or business. Great relationships and businesses do not survive on the wheels of convenience. It requires people who are willing to work at it and also willing to compromise. Holding on to the ideal when you need to compromise might result in one happy person and one sad person or one happy CEO and so many sad employees and customers. The end result is they leave. Summary: Learn to compromise 4. Stop hiding your flaws: There are times we make mistakes and we miss the mark. The problem only lies in refusing to acknowledge it. No one has full custody of knowledge. Everyone has their flaws. Get to know yours and let your significant other know your area of weakness. In business, when the mistake comes from you, take the blame and apologize. It is only in acknowledging your faults that you can get past it. When you hide or ignore it, your insincerity might make a beautiful thing head for the rocks. Summary: Be open about it 5. Stop trying to get even: The minute you feel offended by your significant other, let them know how you feel. Deal with it as soon as you can. Take conscious steps to heal the hurt. The minute you let it grow and you don’t address it, chances are that you are looking for a way to get even. The fascinating thing about getting even is that it does not stop with the plotter. If your significant other gets a whiff of the “getting even” dose, he/she will feel really hurt and might plan to get back at you. Such a cycle might keep on until the relationship breaks off or you call your significant other and address it. In business, if you are in partnership with another person, you need to lay out clearly the terms of agreement with a legal member who is impartial as a witness to the agreement the partners have made. When you are offended, don’t try to get even. Let your partner know what it is you require of him/her. Let go of any resentment and pain that might cause trouble to what you really want. Learn from it and move on with your life and if it can still be salvaged, move on with your business too. Summary: Forgive even though it is hard Great relationships and businesses require a great deal of work. Are you ready to work at it?