Harmonious Organizing with a Partner

It can be difficult to organize with a partner or spouse who shares the same office / business with you.  Oftentimes what I find is that one person wants to keep everything and the other wants to get rid of everything.  There is rarely a meeting of the minds and because the two (or more) people know each other very well they tend to criticize and judge each other assuming their WAY is the best.

I have worked with many, many couples and partners over the years and the trick to working with another person and finding harmonious ways to organize is to look for the strengths and non-negotiables within each of you. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Choose which tasks you will be responsible for based on those.

I'm sure there are parts of the office / business you each feel passionate about. If those parts are different make the choice to have the person who is most interested in that area decide the best way to organize or systematize it. All the while making sure the other person understands the system.

If there are areas that you both feel you are the best person to make the decision you will have to find a compromise.  Talk it out with open minds and realize you are on the same team, with the same objective. It is not a contest. When your office is a well run, efficient place to be you both win. There is often a way to split the project or task that will make you both happy.

I would suggest discussing and making the decisions that are the easiest or most obvious first. Don't start with the issues that will be the battles.  As you work through all of the areas and challenges you both face in your office / business you will begin to find your way through it and the battles might not loom so large as they would if that was the starting point.

You can do this! You will find your way!

If you have a sticking point feel free to schedule a Strategy Session with me. I am happy to help you both talk through any issues you can't get to the bottom of on your own.