Partnership – Part 2

Many partnerships
be it co-founders,
spouses,
or others,
end
in not so amicable terms
due a deterioration
of trust
and respect.

Before that happens,
it’s worth asking ourselves
do we even trust
and respect each other
now?

By trust,
I don’t mean considering their competence
reliable.

I mean do we trust
that they’ll be by our side
to support us
when we
are at our worst?

By respect,
I don’t mean
appreciating their competence.

I mean can we see value in them
over
and over
and over again,
at will.

So much so
that we can see this
even when they’re at
their worst.

Enough to remind them
of their own self-worth
that they themselves
have forgotten.

Withness

“When
did you start losing
trust
in the CTO?” I asked
the CEO.

“Our 3rd co-founder
was underperforming.
He came to us one day
to explain
that his underperformance
was due
to his father’s
illness.”
he answered.

“After he left,
the CTO told me in private
that he believed
that
was just an excuse.”
he continued.

“Sure,
it may have been
an excuse.
But the 3 of us
had been friends
for 10 years
before founding
the company.
I could easily see
how the CTO
would judge me the same way
if I were in a pinch.

I no longer felt
she was with me.”
he concluded.