You are a small-business owner.

You have a business partner, maybe more than one.

There are times when you get along with your partner. There are times when you and your partner don't interact much. And, there are times when you and your partner do not get along.

All of this is normal.

Or, is it?

It depends on how you feel about the relationship you have with your partner.

On balance:

• do you feel things are absolutely excellent between you and your partner?
• do you feel things are touch and go once in a while but quite OK most of the time?
• do you feel stressed, knowing things are not right between you and your partner?
• do you feel your working relationship with your partner is trending downhill?

The last 2 bullet points are symptoms of what we call ‘Partners In Dispute’.

When the relationship between business partners becomes strained and that strain doesn't go away quickly it can set the pattern for Partners In Dispute.

There are numerous causes:

• disagreement about money issues, including personal pay and expenses
• conflicting interpersonal styles, with at least one appearing dysfunction
• disagreement about risk, changes, and plans for the future

Those are just a few examples. While the causes are different the situations are similar. When Partners In Dispute is present the situations are:

• stressed and strained, emotions run high
• disagreements are unresolved, they tend to linger for long periods of time and they tend to affect and complicate decisions
• communication falls off the tracks, often adding to the stress level of not only the partners but also the employees who work for them

When you are deep into Partners In Dispute, you can feel cornered and perhaps even helpless. You may spend considerable time talking about the problem: talking with your spouse; talking with your friends; sometimes even talking with employees (who are caught up in the dispute; talking with advisors such as accountants and sometimes lawyers, etc.

You may have spent a lot of time talking with many people.

Yet, your Partners In Dispute problem did not go away. It simmered and cooled down for periods. However, it jumped back into full force as problems arose or opinions on actions differed.

The good news...

There are quick and simple ways to identify the root problems behind Partners In Dispute. Stress levels can be reduced quickly. And, often, Partners In Dispute situations can be remedied.

We know this because we have done this and we have helped others do it.