Tips
Here are some tips for dealing with situations that commonly arise in copreneur couples and families. A complete listing of all tips can be found in Sleeping With Your Business Partner: A Communication Toolkit for Couples in Business Together. 2007
Tips for Working Together
Behaviors / Actions that Foster Success
- Plan, Plan, Plan
- Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
- Obtain sufficient financing
Behaviors / Actions that will Lead to Distress
- Disrespecting your spouse
- Neglecting your personal needs
- Undercapitalizing your business
Tips for Making Your Differences Work for You
- Identify your personality strengths
- Understand your spouse's personality strengths
- Learn to identify situations that are stressful to you
Tips for Turning Conflict into Bridge Building
- Beware of Quick deals and deadlines
- Don't make these mistakes
- Inadequate preparation
- Ignoring "give and take" principle
- Loss of temper
- Talk to much
- Arguing instead of influencing
- Negotiation Tips
- Set goals
- Ask questions to draw out the other side of the conflict
- Invent options to bridge areas of disagreement
- Cultivate the relationship between/among the parties involved
- Tips for Men Only - It can be helpful for men to remember that:
- Women tend to see negotiations as more embedded in relationships
- Women use power in a way that is more empowering than controlling
- Women pursue negotiation dialogue in a manner that is more like problem solving than confrontation
- Common Negotiation Mistakes & Solutions
- Mistake: Negotiate using a style that you are uncomfortable with
- Solution: Adobt a style that fits your personality
- Mistake: Failure to see a situation as an opportunity to negotiate
- Solution: Assume everything is negotiable
- Solution: Assume everything is negotiable
Tips for Communicating Successfully
- Don't assume that you are communicating effectively
- It's not just "What you say" that counts about also "How you say it"
- Be aware of your non-verbal messages
Tips to Improve Your Listening
- Use the "ready position" (sit slightly forward) when you are listening
- "Look 'em in the eye," switching from eye to eye every three to five seconds so that you are not staring
- Use vocal recognition (especially when you are on the phone) so that the other person knows you are still there and listening
Tips for Business Communication
Voicemail Tips
- Leave your name and number twice
- Spell your name
- Check your messages frequenly
- Return calls within 24 hours
E-mail Tips
- Do not use e-mail to resolve conflicts
- Cover only one topic per e-mail
- Always proofread before sending
- Make the subject line informative
- Beware of the "foward feature"
Tips for Strengthening Your Team
Actions to Take to Build Bridges:
- Give kudos to team members
- Invite input before making a decision
- Give Warm, focused eye contact
- Provide quick response to inquiries
Statements to use to Build Bridges:
- What is your opinion?
- You put a lot of effort into that, didn't you?
- I think we're on the right track!
- You have a lot of good ideas. I need your help.
Avoid these Bridge Burning Statements:
- How much time did you waste thinking about that?
- How long have you been doing this job?
- Why don't you do things like other people
- YOu just don't get it, do you?
- Why in the world would you think that?
Avoid these Bridge Burning Actions:
- "The Look"
- Talking with others while someone else is talking
- One person monopolizing the conversation
- Taking calls in the middle of your conversation
- Interrupting continuously