My business partner and I have a highly dysfunctional working relationship right now. Can we still start the engagement with you, or do we need to resolve our personal friction first?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Personal friction between partners is incredibly common, and it is actually one of the best reasons to start this process. You do not need to resolve your differences before we meet. In fact, trying to do so without a structured framework usually just leads to more circular arguments. We use our very first sessions, specifically Focus Day and the Vision Building days, to establish absolute clarity on your roles and your long-term vision. By building the Accountability Chart, we define exactly who sits in which seat and what their responsibilities are. This instantly removes a massive source of partner friction because it eliminates overlapping authority and vague expectations. You both must GWC™ (Get it, Want it, Capacity to do it) your respective seats. Furthermore, we use the V/TO® to get your shared vision down on paper. If you and your partner cannot agree on the long-term direction of the business, our sessions will make that misalignment obvious very quickly. We do not ignore or dance around partner conflict; we put it on the table and use the IDS® process to solve it. If you are both committed to the health of the business, this structured approach is the fastest way to resolve your friction.