Imagine the situation. You get to know a person who fascinates you from the first minutes, and after a while you realize that this is mutual. You begin to meet more and more often, devote him to your affairs, ask for advice, share your experiences and, in the end, you understand that you see all your further future only with him.
Your relationship reaches its peak, and now some of you are already asking the same question: "Would you like to become my business partner?"
At first, the cooperation is going brilliantly: you are ready to concede to each other in something, stay in touch 24/7, and amazing unanimity reigns in your couple on all key issues. But time passes, and the whole romantic flair of your union gradually disappears: he ordered the equipment at the wrong time, you promised the client something completely different from what you agreed upon, he did not warn you about the project on the side, and you took the habit of regularly being late for meetings.
In a word, the tension is growing, and if it gets worse, then a completely logical way out will follow - a break in cooperation. What is the reason? Perhaps it is that business partnerships are a unique cocktail of personal expectations, biases, habits and work styles. Something similar is a marriage, which, as you know, can quickly lose all its romance and turn into a real nightmare for both (read also: "5 stages of love (and why many break up on the third)").
But there is good news: the "rules of the game" are the same in those and in other respects. The main thing is to find a parallel in time and apply your "personal" knowledge to your business partnership.
You need to know your partner
How often in your life have you met couples who got married a few months after they met and were happy for the rest of their days? Of course, we believe in real feelings, but we also know that such cases are rather the exception than the rule, which means that they cannot be an absolute guide when choosing a spouse.
As a rule, before going down the aisle, we try to get to know each other better, go through several conflicts and, perhaps, even live together in a test mode. This helps both lovers to understand for themselves whether their couple has a future. If it is not there, then they simply will not marry and take on an additional burden of responsibility, costs, and so on.
Business relationships should also have their own trial period. Do not rush to take on anyone who seems to you a sensible specialist. Some coaches, for example, advise you to try working as a colleague first and not move on to the next level until you’ve been through a difficult time together. Do not rush to be fascinated - after all, you still have to share the profit.
The contract is your insurance
Of course, when emotions are at their limit, and you are overwhelmed by dreams of happiness (or profit), it is difficult to imagine a situation that someday this all might end. A marriage contract is the killer of all romance: it's no surprise that many (even royals like Prince Harry) choose to skip this point. As a rule, lovers do not protect their assets, believing that trust and love will prevail over everything. Why don't business partners do it? Most often, the excuses are the same: “I trust him,” “we both have a conscience,” “we have known each other for too long,” and so on.
Yes, maybe your future business partner does not look like a speculator, but, alas, circumstances are different. What will you do if one of you becomes disillusioned with business, wants to move to another city, or just wants to withdraw your share to pay off personal debts? In this situation, a conflict of interests is inevitable: the one leaving the business will want to sell his share at a higher price, while the remaining one, on the contrary, will seek to buy off the partner so that it does not harm the business.
Unfortunately, divorce is common. But business breakups are even more frequent. And if in marriage a lot will depend on the value of what was jointly acquired, then in business your assets will have to be divided in any case. After all, you weren't just starting your own business for the sake of pleasure?
Distribute responsibilities
In an age when a woman knows how to run a household and at the same time earn good money - this point can be perceived as an anachronism. And yet the rule "everyone should do his own thing" can still be successfully applied in all spheres of human relations. Is it so bad if your partner cooks better than you? Or is she planning on shopping better? Our traditional social roles are changing, and that's not bad in its own way. If you find out about this (and come to terms with it) in the first months of marriage, then from the union of two lovers, you can also get a good team.
As for the business, here optimization is one of the key processes. If you are a specialist in communicating with clients, and your partner works great with papers, is it worth changing something?
Get to know each other
Living under one roof, at first we constantly open our spouse from different sides. Somewhere you admire him, and somewhere you come into conflict. And this is normal: after all, we were all born and raised with different backgrounds. But when you live both sorrow and joys together, you begin to understand your partner as well as yourself. That is why, for example, spouses finish sentences one after another, laugh at the same jokes, and generally share the same views.
In business, of course, it's not always a good idea to mix work and personal life. But getting to know your partner from the point of view of his business values, as well as gradually "adjust" your own thinking to your general corporate culture will be useful. Yes, it will be difficult. Yes, at some point you will want to give up everything. But still, "grinding" - this is the same stage of healthy interpersonal relationships, like everything else. You don't need to beware of it - you need to draw conclusions from it.
Think about each other
The phrase “nothing personal, just business” sounds nice, but is usually not an absolute formula for success. Of course, in a business environment, we rarely put someone's interests above our own (which cannot be said about love), but even here, sincere empathy and compassion can benefit the relationship between business partners. The practice in which partners open up to each other on a personal level helps to develop the proper level of trust and respect in the couple. This helps to understand each other's interests and better take them into account if you suddenly have to compromise in your relationship.
Praise each other
As in marriage, there should be no overt rivalry in a business partnership. From the moment you sign the contract (or marriage certificate), you become members of one team, where everyone's contribution is valuable. This is why both partners need to develop a habit of genuinely celebrating the other's success. Psychologists argue that men leave their beloved women if they don't feel needed, and well-known personnel officers - that people leave when they don't realize their own value in the company. During the period when the business is working for payback, the psychological climate among partners becomes key - after all, when there is no money, it is very important to know that both of you are doing everything possible to earn it.
Take the third
And do not be confused by this wording. In the end, when the spouses are in a quarrel, a lot depends on the mediator, whom both partners decide to confide in at such a difficult moment. This could be a family counselor, a coach, a passionate relative, or a friend who will remind you of your shared values and minimize conflicts of interest. In a business partnership, having a middleman who balances your perspective is equally important. Some couples also prefer to hire an expert or coach to provide the necessary training, while others invite another partner (or several) to the business to strengthen the overall think tank. In any case, it is shameful to attract help. And if in the end it saves you from ruin, then it is also commendable.
Photo: Getty Images
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