Partnership challenges came up during a recent panel discussion, so I wanted to share some insights in case you are struggling as well. When partners and teams are not on the same page as the visionary, things can get pretty bumpy—even outright hostile. It affects your teams and employee engagement when the company’s direction is not clear.
What can you do to get everyone back in the fold?
In the 5 Star Success Blueprint from The Growth Architect, we emphasize strengths-based leadership. You already know the buzzwords and key concepts from books that are best suited to skimming through on airplanes. The problem is, if you are the only one who has this knowledge about leadership, how do you get the rest of the team or your business partner to buy in?
We are so busy with running the company that it’s easy to forget everyone needs to be on the same page for consistent growth, vision, and innovation. Implementation is a big issue for most business owners because change takes time to plan and follow through with. So, what can you do?
Bring in a specialist, consultant, or facilitator
Like in any relationship, your company’s communication practices, goals, and culture are constantly evolving. If things have gone off the rails, now is the time to do something about it. Time for a strategy.
Realistically, it is difficult—if not impossible—to know how to get your partnership or team back on track once that tone (you know the one I mean) sneaks in. Unless you possess super powers of objectivity and can completely ignore the history of what was said and who did what, I predict you will be unable to bring it back to center on your own. Save the frustration. Hire a facilitator.
Here is a video that I recorded after a recent VIP Day where we focused on Growth Strategies with business partners Curt and Rand from Stitchlab.
What to do next
Have a straightforward conversation with your partner. Here are three areas you will want to discuss:
- Awareness: What is going on? Where are we disconnected? Is what we do aligned with our mission and vision?
- Support: Identify the best- and worst-case scenario. How is the state of our leadership affecting our teams and company culture? Are the people getting what they need?
- Collaboration: What can we agree on to fix this?
If you are the leader and you want to improve engagement, ask these questions:
- Awareness: Which tasks allow you to apply your strengths best? Where do you see opportunities for yourself and for the company?
- Support: Do I give you the support you need to do your job well?
- Collaboration: Where can we improve communication, processes, or procedures?
Find someone who you resonate with
Now that you are armed with information, you know where you need to focus. Next, go find a facilitator who you resonate with.
In my work, I desensitize the issue by focusing on future growth for the company. Simple enough. When we shine a light on ideas and the skills our partners and team members bring, they feel recognized and valued. Add a little Myers-Briggs skills assessment magic and it becomes clear where the friction is and the solution of who should be doing what is blatantly obvious. All this can be done in one day.
If you want to see how this can work for you, please go here and fill out an Uncovery Session application.
Let’s Grow,
Beate
P.S. What happens if you don’t fix it?
When there is a lack of clear communication, people tend to fill in the blanks with their own ideas that fit their narrative and perspective. And chances are, they aren’t thinking what you’re thinking. Letting assumptions run wild is not how you grow, build, and scale your business.
Beate Chelette is The Growth Architect and a results-oriented businesswoman with an entrepreneurial spirit and a proven track record in growing, building and scaling women’s businesses. Once $135,000 in debt and a single mother, she successfully sold her business to a global entertainment media company owned by Bill Gates in a multi-million dollar deal.
Through her online courses, one-on-one training programs and live speaking events, she mentors women entrepreneurs with her 5 Star Success Blueprint, developed with the knowledge gleaned from her growing, scaling and selling her own company. Beate has a deep commitment to supporting women.
She is the creator of The Women’s Code, the fourth step of Growth Architecture that is focused on Supporting Balanced Leadership. Her proprietary methods specifically address women’s obstacles and she leads from experience, having survived in business in a highly competitive male-dominated environment.
She is a respected speaker and mentor and is the author of the book “Happy Woman Happy World How to Go From Overwhelmed to Awesome”, a book that corporate trainer and best-selling author Brian Tracy calls “a handbook for every woman who wants health, success and a fulfilling career.”
