THE “SEVEN Cs”: PARTNERSHIP DANGER SIGNS - Conflict Becoming the Norm – Part 1Written by Dorene Lehavi
A series of articles exploring seven critical areas that can indicate a partnership is in trouble. Conflict Becoming Norm – Part 1 Dr. Dean Ornish, noted cardiologist, says greatest cause of disease is stress that comes from conflict. Conflict is bad for your health, your personal life and definitely bad for your business. When disagreements have reached stage of conflict, emotions have overcome issue. At this point no one is thinking clearly or speaking truthfully about original problem. It becomes all about winning. How useful is that? You can win battle and lose a whole lot more. Conflict becomes a nail in coffin of your marriage, or in your business partnership. Though you may win in court, you often lose in life. This is a major component of scenario that accounts for high rate of divorce in marriage and even higher rate of dissolution of business partnerships. Even if conflict doesn't reach this dramatic result, living with conflict is an unhappy, unhealthy situation. Not only does it cause you misery, but it is contagious. Employees, clients and family members feel tension. They may be taking sides even without realizing unspoken details of issue. You and your partner avoid meeting, may deteriorate into a yelling match when you do meet, or live in silence avoiding addressing other important issues as well. This is not scenario that inspires you to get out of bed in morning.
| | THE “SEVEN Cs”: PARTNERSHIP DANGER SIGNS - Competitive, Not Complementary ActionWritten by Dorene Lehavi
A series of articles exploring seven critical areas that can indicate a partnership is in trouble. Competitive, Not Complementary Action James Carville and Mary Matlin are public relations spokespeople for Democratic and Republican parties, respectively. They are each articulate, sharp and feisty. Sparks fly when they debate in favor of their parties, so much so that they seem like arch enemies who couldn't possibly exchange a friendly word. I remember shock reaction I had (how many years ago was it?) hearing that they were getting married. I pictured a contentious loud fighting household. Recently I saw two of them on television talking about their private lives. One never knows for sure truth about public figures or anyone else for that matter, but if taken at face value, they have a solid marriage, children and good family life. They displayed mellowness, respect and total togetherness. It was obvious that party competitiveness was left outside of house and what was brought inside was love, goal sharing, and family first. Businesses run by partners are very much like marriages. If partners are in competition with each other they are creating a lot of damage. First of all, their relationship is limited because there cannot be complete openness between competitors. The ultimate goal of success of business is undermined and lost in morass of need to win over each other. If competition is obvious to others and it usually is, it creates a situation of two camps where employees, directors and suppliers choose sides.
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