I was thinking back recently on various partnerships I have seen or been involved with, and which of them struggled.

One big item jumped out at me.

We just don’t talk anymore

When a partnership reaches the point that there are things you might disagree with, but you don’t bring them up because, “It’s not worth the fight,” or because you’re “choosing your battles,” then things are in serious trouble. This is when there start to be elephants in the room that are not being resolved, or even addressed.

When I think back to the biggest challenge I have ever had in business, it was with an individual who often got their way by pushing nearly every interaction and issue into the zone of being uncomfortable. By doing so, he knew that others would not be willing to turn each and every issue into world war 3… No one has the energy to fight that much. As a result, he often got his way.

This is perhaps one of the worst examples of a partnership that had festered. But there are varying degrees of this that happen even in partnerships that may seem healthy.

I don’t want to imply by any of this, that a healthy partnership is the one that fights like hell. You should be able to have disagreements, and respect each others perspectives, and then reach decision even if you must make concessions at times.

Check your partnership. Are you holding your tongue? Are you letting things happen that you don’t believe in, just because you don’t want the battle of addressing them? Is there an elephant in the room?

If so, I suggest a heart to heart. Some things need to change.