What is a Great Partnership?

I am interested in partnership in marriage. I wondered this week about how people create partnership in other areas of life, such as in business or in sports. I did some searching on the Internet this week to see how people in different professional arenas might answer the question: What is a great partnership?

Is partnership in marriage any different than a great partnership in, say, a doubles tennis match, a business enterprise, a law firm or a beach volleyball game?  What are experts in these fields saying about what makes a great partnership?

Here is what I found:

Advice on Being Great Partners in Doubles Tennis

• Say things to your partner that will lighten the mood and bolster their energy
• Be constructive, upbeat and optimistic; avoid being negative
• Gauge and understand your partner’s emotions and body language
• Don’t blame your partner when your game is not working
• Know what your partner needs
• Be flexible and willing to change
• Don’t take things personally

Advice on Being Great Partners in Business

• Create and share a vision
• Make sure your partner’s needs and expectations are addressed
• Identify and utilize the strengths of each partner; support your partner’s limitations
• Handle disagreements, disappointments and frustrations early and often
• Define job roles for each partner, including accountability
• Have conversations with your partner often and work out differences.
• Align on goals and ambitions
• It’s okay to disagree and respect each other’s opinions and ideas

Advice on Being Great Partners in a Law Firm

•  Set direction and be decisive
• Take an authentic interest in your partner; actively listen to your partner
• Be collaborative with each other and build consensus
• Match abilities to challenges
• Have a positive mental attitude and celebrate successes
• Be honest with each other
• Take on innovation and change
• Be fearless in taking on challenges

Advice on Being Great Partners in Beach Volleyball

• Practice a lot
• Support each other is being the best players you can be
• Work on having great chemistry
• Good communication is a must

Advice on Being Great Partners in Marriage

• All of the above

Posted in Partnership Marriage