Your startup is facing a partnership crisis. How will you rebuild trust with your co-founder?

Rebuilding trust takes longer than breaking it. This is a journey of commitment. First, know that acknowledging the problem is half the solution. You both must communicate your perspectives honestly and address what feels out of bounds to you. Miscommunication often leads to trust crises. Sit down together, talk about what went wrong, and find a way forward. Always focus on the startup’s success, not personal victories. They're a byproduct of the startup's success. Show that you care about the partnership and are dedicated to the shared vision.

When something went wrong there is no other way that go directly to the issue. First of all recognize the error or the offshore that your team couldn't deliver. Understand the other party discontent. Not just say i understand, say i know this hurt your brand, your team and certainly your clients and I'm sorry. Think it as yours and provide solutions that don't make the client go away. Guarantee your time to deliver results as fast as possible. Make them feel understoood, recognized, important and secure.

When your startup encounters a partnership crisis, you handle it like a boss. Confront issues directly, set unmistakable boundaries, and realign on your common vision—what's the endgame? Foster open dialogue, own any missteps, and commit unequivocally to improvement. Stay positive, celebrate every victory, and maintain your unwavering focus on your shared objectives. This approach rebuilds trust effectively, ensuring your startup stays resilient and steadfast on the path to success. Remember, in business, as in life, leadership is about navigating challenges with clarity, determination, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

Rebuilding trust after a partnership crisis requires acknowledging the issue openly and listening actively to your co-founder's concerns. Take responsibility for any mistakes and apologize sincerely. Realign goals and values to ensure mutual understanding and set clear expectations for roles and responsibilities. Foster transparency by sharing information openly and work on constructive conflict resolution strategies. Invest time in building personal connections outside of work. If progress stalls, consider involving a neutral mediator. Consistent effort and commitment to communication, honesty, and mutual respect are key to rebuilding trust effectively.

It is a game of pride and ego. The less of these both sides have the easier it become to go straight to the hearth of the problem and solve it. It is also important to keep your self-respect and respect the other side as well.

In the company we have accountability charts, it is essencial to a dispute to go back to the boundaries of responsability. When accountability is clear and has only one owner8 as it should be), we have clear determination of what when wrong. We ask a direct report of the subject from the owner and inmdeatly introduce help in that issue with the team and team leader.

Make sure to be the first one to set the boundaries, because it will be the anchor point. Even if the opposite party isn't accepting, what will be counter proposed will most likely be closer to your liking compared to letting the other party say their boundaries without influence.

Your goals are not the startup’s goals. Your vision should align with the startup’s objectives. You can’t aim for revenue if you have a charity. Take time together to clearly define the startup’s goals for success. Too often, founders confuse their personal aspirations with the company’s, which breeds chaos, now—everyone pushing their own vision. Stop and refocus on: What defines success for the startup? How can we achieve it? It's about the company’s mission, not individual agendas.

Improve communications for me is simple. Don't asume. We have seen that most ways of delivering something is pure assumption that the "boss" or the "client" wants something that way because that is the way we have worked. For me that is unacceptable unless it is by writing and it is signed. Assumition is where imagination finds extern boundaries. Ask like a toddler but garantee the expectations and must of every interaction

Make others feel valued and heard. These are the basics. Then approach them with respect and 9/10 cases you will have a proper communication and you too will be heard. It is also good when you establish the way you communicate to ask how the other party prefers the style of communication, rather than assuming it.

Become accountable, that is the way to move forward. First is the team leader then the owner of the key result. When you have accountability you recognize ownership and that makes collaborators feel wanted. That means that every interacting moving forward has a no expendable subject that delivers good results. Every one wants some responsability and some degree of solving probles. It is time to move forward in responsability

Be self critical and be honest. If there was a way on your side to improve so that things can work out, admit it and propose future steps on how to mend the relationship.

Part of communicating is also fostering the desire to do so in others. Celebrating small wins together and encouraging others will make them feel seen, valued and when the time comes for a harder talk they will be more open to what you have to say.

Partnership crises can be challenging, but they're not insurmountable. In my experience, open and honest communication is the first step to rebuilding trust. This involves having a candid conversation about the root causes of the crisis, acknowledging any mistakes or misunderstandings, and demonstrating a willingness to listen and learn from each other. I also recommend revisiting your shared values and vision for the company, ensuring that you're still aligned and working towards a common goal. Rebuilding trust takes time, patience, and a genuine commitment to collaboration.

Consider seeking help from a business coach to guide the discussion and help you take actionable steps. Start by remembering why you started this venture together and revisiting the original purpose. Reflect on what has changed since then. Instead of making accusatory statements, use "I" statements to express your feelings. For example, say, "When you say this or that, it makes me feel this way." Clearly communicate your expectations for the future by saying, "In the future, I expect this or that from you." Honesty is extremely important. Decide if you both want to continue the partnership and, if not, what the best off-boarding solution would be for both parties. Remember, when there's a will, there's always a solution.