You Don’t Need to Find a Better Business Partner, You Need to *BE* a Better Business Partner
How often do you think about your flaws? If you’re like me, you probably have plenty of things that you’d like to improve, tune up, or change.
For example, I’ve recently been having a hard time getting out of bed in the morning.
“It’s not a big deal because I work from home, and I’ll still have time to get everything done today. What’s a few more minutes?”
Now, how often do you find yourself thinking about your own flaws when you’re looking at someone else’s flaws?
“Well, I may have done X, but at least I didn’t do Y!”
It’s easy to think about our own flaws, but it’s even easier to think about the flaws of others.
We can easily minimize the things we don’t like about ourselves when we have someone else to measure ourselves against.
When you have a business partner, you have the perfect person to compare yourself against. They probably have some strengths you admire, and some weaknesses that bother you. You probably have a decent friendship, and you probably spend a large amount of time together.
Because of this closeness, it’s incredibly easy for me to compare the amount of work that you’re doing to the amount of work that you think your partner is doing.
Here’s what tends to happen in my mind.
- It’s easy to think that I’m the one doing all the work.
- It’s easy to think that the only way for things to get done is for me to make sure it’s being done.
- It’s easy to think that I’d be better of on my own, or at least with someone who would do their fair share!
We will always be able to find flaws in other people, and they will always find flaws in us.
Honestly, I can be an incredibly selfish and prideful partner. Sometimes I need to detach and reassess the situation.
- It’s not true that I’m the only one doing all the work, or coming up with all the ideas.
- It’s not true that I communicate perfectly and never miss any deadlines.
- It’s not true that I’d be better off on my own.
You (and I) are not better off on our own, because we need other people around us to hold up a mirror to our actions, and challenge us to improve. Without my partners setting me straight, I would easily fall into a rut and not even know it.
Also, remember that this same process is happening on the other side of the fence! Maybe you think that you’re being attentive and responsible, but really your behavior comes across as controlling and micro-managing.
What are you going to do about it?
If you find yourself becoming frustrated or annoyed with the flaws of your partners, you have two options.
The first option is to lean in to the negative. Let yourself be miserable and malcontent with the situation, and let the little things built up into major issues.
The second option is to detach from the emotions of the situation and set yourself straight. Your business partner isn’t purposefully trying to bother you or trip you up. After all, you started the relationship to try to make money, right?
Be a better partner by acknowledging your part in the issue that’s bothering you, and by taking the energy to have the difficult conversation. Bring up the things that are bothering you. Take time to ask what YOU do that’s bothersome.
Remember, the grass is greener where you water it.
