I was in a meeting recently, and I had occasion to quote a phrase I remember from when I was growing up. Isn’t it funny how when you are young, and particularly as you go through your teens, this stuff that your parents trot out all the time is just so boring. Then, as you get older, it all starts to percolate through your consciousness again, and you start to understand its true value.

There are some other sayings like “A sharp knife and a clean conscience” that I got from my then future father-in-law. It was when we were castrating calves together on his farm! However, it is just so true in business. Sort it out. Don’t let it fester. If you make a wrong decision, you can, in all probability, change it later, but don’t ignore the problem, because it will only fester and end in tears.

At my meeting this week, the phrase that I quoted was “Least said, soonest mended.”

I hear all the time that people want to resolve differences there and then. Bring everyone together and “have it out”. But sometimes you have to agree to disagree or accept that everyone has their own ways of dealing with a situation. It may not be my way. I may not think that their way is the right way, but that was what they thought at the time. I might be the one who got it wrong, but only time will tell. It does not mean ending that business relationship. It is just accepting that we are all different and none of us is perfect.

When it comes to personal relationships, you are not supposed to go to bed on a quarrel. Why not? By morning, you may either have forgotten why you disagreed or even that you did quarrel in the first place. A good night’s sleep can sometimes work wonders in these situations.

So it can be in business. If you let a falling out get in the way of a good business deal or relationship, are you not poorer as a result? You may feel that you have defended your moral high ground, but at what cost?

Hence, “Least said, soonest mended”.

I suppose that when getting into a business relationship, in order to minimise any falling out, you want to ensure, as best you can, that your respective goals are aligned. But there are several other factors that come into play. The first is that we all change over time. Our goals may change, and for example, our personal goals may become more important to us than our business ss ones. Also, the longer the relationship, the more chance there is that you as a person mature as your experiences grow.

I was once told that a business relationship is like a marriage. My first business was in a partnership, where I was for 15 years. Two young accountants building a business together, but as time went by, we grew apart, and our paths diverged and at the end of 15 years came divorce. Helen and I have been together for 34 years, and in business together (50/50) for 25 years. So far, so good!

Is there a magic formula? Just like any marriage, there are many formulas between couples that work. So, what is ours? I don’t think it is that we are the same, but our skills complement each other, and we have always needed both to make it work. We come as a team or not at all. Other couples and other businesses will have their own unique formulas. Some work and others don’t.

Quite a few years ago, I came across a podcast called “Between the spreadsheets”, which was a series based on couples who were building businesses together. I have come across many people who say they could not work alongside their other half. It’s a bit like Marmite. It seems to be something where few people are indifferent. You either like it or you hate it.

But, at the end of the day, we are all different, and we all have our own ways, likes and dislikes.  It is always good to look at and understand what other people think. If you have differences, do they actually matter in the grand scheme of things?

There is a saying that fits situations when you don’t agree!

“You may be right”.

 

Alan E Long

The Long Partnership

07770 738770