The “SEVEN Cs”: Partnership Danger Signs - Communication BreakdownWritten by Dorene Lehavi
An ongoing series of articles exploring seven critical areas that can indicate a partnership is in trouble. COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN The "Seven Cs" are danger signs that indicate your business partnership, or any partnership for that matter, is in trouble. First, and most important, in my view, is issue of Communication Breakdown. Although my list of Seven C's refers to danger signs that partnerships are in trouble, fact is that communication breakdowns abound in all relationships. Sometimes they are serious leading to downward spiraling such as in business partnerships and marriages where stats of breakup are astronomical. Other times they are simple miscommunications of lesser impact that don't negatively affect relationship. As an experienced listener, sometimes I smile when I happen to hear people answer question they think they heard and be replied to as if they answered question that was asked. A recipe for trouble. Then conversation twists and turns and no one is wiser (but me!). What can you do to avoid these breakdowns? First and foremost be committed to open listening. Honestly, you don't have to be right all time. Others have worthwhile opinions too. Don't set yourself up to judge. Put your agenda aside. You can always embrace it later. Allow possibility that you have something to learn from someone else. Often what happens is that you may reject idea expressed but it triggers yet another idea and another. Before you know it you've both expanded your options and have created new and exciting possibilities. Or you have respectfully listened to each other's viewpoints and feelings or cleared air about something which needed to occur before moving on to business itself.
| | 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.
|
