Did you set up processes that enabled the good communication at the beginning? IE was good communication an intentional part of your partnership that you prioritised from day one, or was it a happy coincidence and result of the exciting new circumstances?

In my experience, it’s often the latter! For you it may not be, but communication tends to be good at the start because it’s new and exciting. There’s also less responsibility, so you’ve got time and energy to put into it. 

But as the business grows and we get busier, communication between partners can slip as there was never an agreed process, and the importance of it was never outlined.

If you did kick off with communication processes in place, why did they change? How can you get them back? If things are slipping through the cracks, is that due to time pressure? Lack of process? Unclear responsibilities? Understanding the wider picture and the cause is important to help you know how to resolve it.

Have you discussed this with your partner? Do they recognise it too? Have an open conversation about the impact of the current communication set up, get clear on the benefits of improving it, then take action!

I’d consider building these (or at least some of them) into your routine:

• Daily vibe check. 5 / 10mins first thing to connect, kick off the day as partners, and share anything top of mind.

• Non-negotiable weekly meeting. Discuss your work, challenges, questions, ideas etc. Also allocate time for constructive feedback (yes, it’s important).

• Clear comms processes for different things. IE “If we sign a project email me the schedule, then we’ll have a call to map out timelines”.

• Stick to one channel. Emails, Slack, WhatsApp; jumping between them means things get missed.

• Don’t talk about ‘big’ things over email / text, and if you sense confusion or tension, CALL THEM OR TALK IN PERSON. Remove the risk of ambiguity and misinterpreted tone.

• Set boundaries. Get frustrated with weekend messages about work? Be honest about how and when you do and don’t want to communicate.

• Have some fun. Don’t just talk about work, reconnect about your lives over a coffee, lunch etc.

There’s some great tests to understand your different communication styles - this one is more in depth with more insight, this one is quicker with widely used categories. There’s loads! Research and see what appeals.

They give quick, valuable insights (some real Ah-HA moments) and create an objective platform to discuss how to best manage your different styles.