Basic rules of Great Partnerships
Don’t partner:
If you do not want to share food and wine with your partner on regular and special occasions.
If you cannot see yourself still liking each other in 30 years
If they spend their time blaming others, or gossiping, or ridiculing others. Eventually, they will blame and ridicule you and you will be the focus of their gossip.
If they think they are superior to you overall. Their superiority comes from lack. They must create a power differential to feel okay about themselves.
If they are great at lying, keeping secrets and deception.
If they blur lines around integrity. A small violation is very close to a larger violation.
If they have a low capacity to speak into issues, to keep communication clear and clean, to name with crystal clarity, their agenda.
Do partner:
If you are complimentary to each other. If together you create synergy, where the sum of both of you is far greater than one of you working in isolation.
If your values and mission are coherent and aligned.
If you know both of you are committed to staying in the conversation until all issues are resolved.
If you both hold the relationship itself as sacred and will do what you must to ensure it is maintained.
Great partnerships are always going to be exponentially better than working solo because they will be synergistic.
Like any relationship, the foundational architecture of a partnership is critical.
Build a partnership as you would a cathedral. With love, attention, respect and care, not simply for the now, but with an eye on forever.
August 27th 2019
Photo taken May 10th, 2015