Partnership Paralysis
You have tried.
You have tried to reason with this person, so they could understand.
You have tried to listen to this person, so you could understand.
You have brought in middlemen to broker a truce, so you could find a way to move forward.
But nothing has worked.
The problem is…
You’re over it.
You don’t agree with or even like this person, and it’s a waste of your time to keep trying to change their mind. So, instead, you avoid them as much as you can and hope the problem magically resolves itself – which, of course, it never will.
To make matters worse, it’s spilling into the rest of the office. Your conflict is making others uncomfortable – on top of the fact that it’s sucking up way too much of everyone’s time and sapping creativity from the entire team.
You would not allow this with your direct reports.
Why are you allowing it with yourself?
No really… why?
Have you convinced yourself that it’s not that big of a deal? Is it wishful thinking that avoidance will solve it? Is it embarrassment about not knowing how to address it properly?
Is there simply too much at stake because you are entangled in a family business, which adds an extra layer of stickiness to an already intractable situation?
Whatever it is, I can help.
Avoidance fuels resentment.
Resentment destroys more than just relationships.
It destroys businesses, especially family businesses.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
It is possible to transform even the most intransigent resentment into a willingness to work together toward a shared goal. It requires doing the right work, though.
It requires showing up in good faith, asking yourself the right questions, and opening up to self-exploration in an honest, vulnerable way.
Not everyone is brave enough to look inward and take responsibility for their side of the relationship equation. But for those who are, the clarity is galvanizing.
If you have the courage to trust the process, you will gain more than just relief from the conflict. You will gain a new level of self-awareness and a powerful set of skills that will serve you in all aspects of your life.
Conflict Resolution that Builds Resilience
These skills of my model improve all relationships – personal and professional.
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE SKILLS
…help you regulate your emotions and take care of yourself in highly stressful situations.
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
…help you communicate effectively and build supportive relationships.
MIND-BODY SKILLS
…help you repair the physical effects of stress and access your inner wisdom when making decisions.
Self-awareness helps you take responsibility for your side of your relationships.
Playing to your STRENGTHS, owning and mitigating your weaknesses, welcoming feedback, and exploring your blind spots allow you to bring your best self to all your partnerships.
Making your NEEDS a priority and finding a way to balance them with those of your business (and personal) partners creates relationships that are healthy and supportive.
Living in alignment with your VALUES and making sure the values of your partnership align with your personal values is a foundational component of successful partnerships.
Making sure your BELIEFS serve both you and the partnership is a fundamental building block of sustainable, mutually beneficial partnerships.