Why Partnerships Fail…And what we can do to prevent it
5 questions to ask yourself before your partnership is tanking
As I mentioned previously, most business partnerships struggle and eventually fail for a variety of preventable reasons. I mentioned last time that one reason partnerships fail is that the work culture is stuck in the past. Like the saying, “The kids reflect the parents,” so it is true the company culture reflects the partnership. [click link here to read]
My response to that challenge was to consider this litmus test to loyalty: would your employees support you without question in public, yet feel COMPLETELY COMFORTABLE to challenge you in private in a respectful tone?
I also offered a quick Culture Test for your company by emailing me @ Joel@ThePerformanceGroup.us and writing “Culture Test” in the subject line.
Here is the third reason why partnerships tank: no clear decision-making process.
Without a clear understanding and agreement on how decisions are to be made, partners will end up feeling that their views weren’t adequately considered. Or, they end up doing what they want to do because they didn’t understand, agree with or buy-into the decisions and directions that they believed were made. As a result, decisions you thought were made end up in the dustpan of disregard and irrelevance.
I once did a (successful) conflict resolution for a partnership that had, like most marriages, one person that was typically aggressive/assertive and the other that was laid back, go with the flow. I am sure you see this one coming. Although equally bright and competent, the assertive aggressor always wanted to advance while the other partner was like, “dude, take a chill pill”. This created a lot of bitterness and resentment that started to boil over into different areas of life.
Once we sorted the conflict, we inserted a process for making decisions that included showing your research, as well as a timeline to meet and reconvene. But the tipping point was installing a neutral third party to break future gridlocks.
Assertive partners will typically do what they think needs to be done and the less assertive will resent those decisions and actions because they weren’t consulted. On the positive side each partner gets their own needs met but the strategic needs and direction of the partnership suffers*.
That’s one partnership formula I do know of that proved effective. And if it worked for those two alpha surgeons, it just may work for you.
Bottom line? Do you have a clear process for decision making and does it have a third party to weigh in on tough decisions?
This is part three of a five-part series taken directly from
“The Rewired Group – Coaching Experience“.