25 February 2010
Is My Partnership an “Us” or a “Me”?
Posted by Moss under: communication .
There is an expression, “There’s no I in the word team.” Do you think the same is true for partnerships, “There’s no I in partner?”
Practically speaking, there is always an “I” present. Every person has self-interest to protect. Teams or partnerships are no guarantee that a person’s safety, security, or success will be protected. To an extent, each person has to take responsibility for his/her welfare.
Each person also has to keep an eye out for partnership breakdowns to make sure he will speak up when things are not working out. That being said, a partnership based on trust, integrity, resiliency, competence, giving or taking feedback, and mutual caring can go a long way to bringing about mutual success.
The dilemma: how to harness the collective power of self-interest and partnership? How to walk and chew gum at the same time? How to keep focus on two targets at the same time?
Bottom Line
- You are responsible for yourself.
- You are also responsible for your partnership.
- Realize that your partnership serves your self-interest.
- Realize that your partnership serves your partner’s self-interest. •
- There is nothing wrong with self-interest.
- Talk with your partner about what is important to each of you.
- Sometimes it is more blessed to give than to receive.
- Other times it is more satisfying to get what you want.
- Design work, roles, compensation, and risk so that both self-interests can be satisfied.
