It’s natural for people to work together when they have a common goal or interest, whether in the boardroom or in the bedroom. But the opposite is also quite true. People can have the most divisive arguments, whoever they may be: co-workers, couples, relatives, and even friends. Often we see this kind of conflict in business partnerships and marriages because both parties have emotional and financial interests that could affect their future.You may have formed it out of a common desire to fulfill a certain need, or you may have done so because you are all attracted to the field. But when there’s the conflict between you, you’d need to resolve it in a professional way.
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Get Legal Advice
There’s a chance that your major disagreement now can lead to actual separation later. It’s always best to get legal advice from your corporate or divorce lawyers, even if you have no intention of breaking up the partnership.
They could help you realize the full effects of your potential breakup. It may spur you to work it out, or at least do it at a pace and manner that’s proper and minimizes that impact at the same time.
Consider Written Agreements
Even if there’s no conflict happening right now, it will be helpful to put any and all agreements on paper. These include not just what each of you agree to do, but also how you would go about solving problems when they arise. That way, if you do engage in conflict, you’ll have something to check details and procedure with.
Sometimes, taking a look at the details again helps stop the argument from getting bigger and making you spend more time, effort, and possibly money on it.
Stay Calm
You’ll have a hard time coming up with a resolution if you don’t let go of your negative feelings for the other party. You’ll end up being biased and unable to see the other side of the argument.
If it takes distancing yourself for a while and then getting back to the issue at hand, then do so.
While problems do need to be solved as soon as possible, going at it with your thinking muddled by emotions can make it worse.
Be Proactive
Sometimes, business and personal relationships end when you wait for the other party to do something about it instead of actively looking for a solution. In this case, you can do actions that will help you meet halfway. If you find that you’re the one who offended the other party, you should be the one to say sorry. After all, this is still a person you’re dealing with. At least, if your relationship does end, you can say that you did your best for it.
A business partnership is pretty much like any other relationship that you may have. You will encounter conflicts at some point due to your differences in your thinking and actions. But the challenge is how to work through those and make your partnership stronger in the end. Do your best in solving your problems first, then let go if that’s the only way to prevent further damage.