In this Psychology Today article, Jordan Birnbaum and Laura Martin (co-founders of The Glinda Group) move past vague abstractions like “thoughtfulness” to provide 10 concrete, observable behaviors that define a successful 50/50 business partnership.
The Top 10 Rules for Business Partnerships
- Eliminate Rumination: This is the #1 rule. Partners must promise to tell each other immediately if they are upset. This prevents “negative cyclical thinking” that destroys productivity and mental health.
- Shared Credit (The Beatles Rule): Like Lennon and McCartney, ideas should be so intermingled that tracing individual contributions is impossible. The total must be greater than the sum of its parts.
- Correct Errors in Judgment: Errors are unavoidable. Success depends on having zero defensiveness, learning the lesson, and responding with agility.
- Support During “Bad Stretches”: Nobody is at their best every day. A great partner has your back during personal or professional slumps without judgment.
- Collective To-Do Lists: Clients don’t care whose “job” it is. Responsibilities should be contextual and updated hourly based on who has the capacity at that moment.
- Healthy Conflict: No arguments mean no passion. “Fighting fair” and towards a common goal proves that the partners can always reconnect.
- Embrace Mistakes: If no mistakes are being made, no real effort or innovation is happening. Accountability for mistakes is the fastest path to trust.
- Start Personal: Every conversation should begin with a genuine check-in on the other person’s life. Without a personal connection, the relationship becomes transactional and fragile.
- Experimentation Over Goals: A goal is useless if it doesn’t lead to a direct experiment. Complacency is “slow-motion suicide,” and learning must be continuous.
- Kindness Over “Coolness”: In high-stress business moments, you don’t need a charismatic partner; you need a kind one who is invested in lessening your stress and being effusive with praise.
