16 November 2009
Business Partnership Success: Be Part of the Solution
Posted by Moss under: Navigating Partnerships .
Stop complaining about your partner and adding fuel to the problem. Regardless of any personal pleasure you may feel when you find fault with your partner, be hard on the problem and not on the person.
As high performing partners, keep navigating toward you goals. When something throws action off track, especially in your partner’s area of responsibility, get involved and discuss how you might help to solve the problem.
Everyone makes mistakes, screws up, acts badly, or fails from time to time. When your partner does it, chances are he’ll feel upset, frustrated, and disappointed. He can easily react with defensiveness, excuses, or even blame.
Avoid the temptation to give him criticism. You can always express criticism or feedback later, after the problem has been handled and emotions are settled down. Be a situational leader, speak up, or influence a useful action. First, acknowledge your partner’s upset and then shift the focus to a solution-finding conversation.
Bottom Line
- Be a solution finder.
- Make a positive contribution.
- Keep your judgment to yourself.Be empathetic.
- Be constructive. Later on, conduct a root cause analysis or give feedback.
- Remember, sooner or later, you’ll get back what you give out.
