LibraryScenariosWhen business partnerships develop invisible hierarchies
Scenario

When business partnerships develop invisible hierarchies

My business partner handles all our client relationships because he's more comfortable with that kind of networking, but lately I've noticed that clients assume he's the senior partner and I'm the technical support, even though we're equals. We've never talked about how this affects our partnership dynamics or what it means for our long-term growth.

Juana
Online
The coach is replying

More people experience this than they realize.

What we've seen

The practical division of labor you agreed to is creating perceptions and power imbalances you never anticipated, and addressing it requires confronting assumptions both of you have been avoiding.

Ideas that help explain it
Worth thinking about

“Where Are You with Digital identity and curated self?”

If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.