THE CONFESSION:
“We used to thrive on challenging and stretching each other's ideas, enjoying how our collaboration added real value to the business.
Lately, though, this has started to create tension between us. We need to find that balance again, where we can push ideas without straining our partnership.”
The magic of being Co-Founders is that there are multiple creative brains in the mix, and collaboration is the best way to access that magic. It’s a powerful tool as a mix of perspectives creates stronger outcomes.
Do you know what’s caused a change in your collaboration? Are there wider business factors which have had an impact, or have there been shifts in your personal relationship?
Is the struggle to collaborate the only thing creating tension between you? Or is the strain being fuelled by other reasons, it’s just manifesting itself in this context?
Let’s use a classic example of tension at home over taking the bins out (stick with me here 😂)… The tension isn’t about the bins at all. It’s about feeling under appreciated, a lack of joy at home, it could be about anything; the weekly bin bicker is simply how it manifests.
See what I’m getting at? Take wider stock of your partnership and get curious about what else might be at play.
I’d also be interested to ask if the way you challenge and stretch ideas has changed? For example, did it used to be the two of you casually chatting in a cafe, and now it’s a recurring 30min event in the same meeting room? I exaggerate slightly, but you get the idea… Consider if you’re creating the right environment to foster the collaboration you previously experienced.
Have you openly talked about this? If not, what’s holding you back? Understanding why you’re hesitant to discuss it could reveal valuable insight into what else might be part of this tension.
It’s also important to not look back. You can’t get back the same collaboration you used to have as you, your partnership and your business have changed. It’s about creating a new way to bring value to this process.
If you set up a conversation to brainstorm how to strengthen your partnership for success, rather than to tackle a specific tension, doesn’t that feel different? And create the chance to have a bigger, more positive impact?
Look ahead and map out the partnership you want to create (of which collaboration is a big part of), and build a plan to get there.
LET’S ASK THE AUDIENCE…
HOW DO YOU FOSTER COLLABORATION AS CO-FOUNDERS?
"I think our long-term success as partners depends on two things: respect; and humour. I think we both respect each others ability/experience/talent (which are quite different). And we both enjoy a good laugh while we work.
So when we reach an impasse, we generally try to overcome it and usually it's quite easy because one of us will just acquiesce. But occasionally that doesn't happen. And in this case we usually work our way through it with creativity.
Here is an example:
My co-founder normally deals with graphics because he is much better at it than me. But we recently had to re-design a surface for technical limitations and I was not satisfied with his solution. So as part of the creative process, I pretend to be him and he pretends to be me: I'm thinking 'What kind of thing would xx like', and he is doing the same. And in this way we brainstorm lots of ideas until one goes down and we work on that one. And generally speaking we have a laugh in this process.
I'd like to stress that this is what I think we do - it's not a formal exercise that we do in any constrained or contrived way - it just comes to us quite naturally and I think we both do it intuitively."
Clare Brass, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Moree
"Rachel and I have what some might call an ‘old school’ approach to handling plans and decisions. We make time to always come together in person with a list of key decisions and talk them through face to face.
Even amongst two people you can find yourself going back and forth on a messaging app and get lost in the ping pong. Just as in corporate life it is important to sometimes call a halt and get in a room. It is always good to park the big ones and come back to them when you are together.
The other big lesson for me is to not be so wedded to an idea that you stop listening. If you are relaxed on something don’t disagree or push back because you feel like it, or perhaps it’s a bad day. Try to work out what are the most important principles to you, have your partner understand that, and everything else can experience compromise."
Marco Bertozzi, Co-Founder at TheZoo.London
A QUESTION FOR YOU ALL TO ASK YOUR CO-FOUNDERS:
HOW CAN WE COLLABORATE BETTER TO CREATE MORE VALUE FOR THE BUSINESS?
This edition was published on the 16th Aug 2024
