I have been writing about the ugly side of partnership. Now, I want to look at the beautiful side and how to make it happen and keep it going.
If you have been paying close attention to all that I was saying about partnership since Monday, October 10, 2011, when I started writing on the topic, you should realize by now that even after you have done what I call your due diligence in choosing carefully who you should partner with in business, there are no guarantees that the relationship will not flounder.
Truth is, no matter how careful you are in making your choice; you?re still taking a big gamble when you go into partnership.
That being the case, you need to understand what you should do to make a partnership work. If you play your own part well, you can then hope that the other party will reciprocate.
And if you are lucky and your partner is willing to make the necessary sacrifice to ensure that your partnership works, then you should consider yourself as one of the luckiest people in the world.
Here are some of the strategies that have worked well for me in forging great partnerships:
[1] I go into partnership with an open mind
After pre-qualifying my prospective partner and I come to the conclusion that I can work with him or her, the first vital decision I take concerning the partnership is to make a commitment to GOD.
I declare to Him: ?My Father, I?ve done my due diligence and concluded that I can do business with this person. We have agreed on how we shall operate and it is documented. I pledge that I will not deviate from the spirit and letter of that agreement.
?If, in the course of doing the business my partner decides to act contrary to what we agreed and, as a result, I?ll be set back financially or be at a disadvantage in any way, I?ll be relying on You, my Father, to defend me.?
That may sound naive to many people reading this. But, guess what? It has worked for me wonderfully! I?ve been in many partnership arrangements where, on the cards, I was billed to lose out completely.
But months, or maybe years later, when I looked back, I always saw clearly how GOD had intervened on my behalf and dramatically restored all my losses. And, what?s even more incredible, I would not have lifted a finger!
[2] I forgive my partner in advance
Forgiving your partner after they have done something wrong against you is one of the most difficult things to handle in any relationship. And when money is concerned, as is the case in a business partnership, it?s even more difficult.
Anyone who has a little bit of what is called common sense knows that there is no human being that does not make mistakes. We all make them by truck load. And almost on a daily basis.
That being the case, I expect my partner to offend me just as I know that from time to time, I would do something that does not please him or her.
In order not to get myself entangled in one of the devices that the devil uses to cause disaffection between people who have a great relationship going, I protect myself by forgiving my partner upfront.
Let me describe the way I do it in order to give you a clearer picture of what I?m saying. One of the worst things your partner can do to you is to steal the money that belongs to the two of you. When that happens, you will find the partners involved at loggerheads. Usually, it?s a fight to the finish.
But I handle such issues differently. At the point of discovery, I will feel disappointed just as any normal person would. And if you have been in this situation before, you know that this is the point where the devil will invade your mind with all his cohorts.
They will be suggesting all sorts of crazy things to you. And when I say crazy things, I mean really crazy things. If you make the mistake of doing some of the things they will be telling you, you would probably spend a long term in jail if the law catches up with you.
But because I have learnt to forgive the people I go into partnership with upfront, I?m able to quickly tune out the devilish suggestions of the devil and take control of my rising anger. Instead of listening to the devil, the Word of GOD in Mark 11: 25-26 will automatically flash into mind:
25 ?And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
26 ?But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.?
And that is what settles the matter for me.
Now, I don?t want to leave you with a wrong impression. I?m not saying that my partner can just go into our business account, clean out the bank balances, and walk away scot free. No, that is not the point.
What I?m saying is that whatever I do to recover the money, if it is recoverable, will not be done with any trace of bitterness. If it is obvious that the money is gone for good, I?ll not nurse any grudge in my heart against the person.
I know that many will disagree with me on this. But what I have discovered is that if you decide to live your life walking in the light of GOD?s Word, some of the things you will be doing will be contrary to conventional wisdom.
And, do you remember my pledge to GOD that I would not do anything contrary to the agreement I had with my partner? And that if my partner were to wilfully go against the agreement I would look up to GOD to fight for me?
Well, this is one of the occasions that I look up to my Father for help. He says in His Word that ?vengeance is mine.? Being an unbiased Umpire and One who is not capable of telling lies, He will always do what He has promised.
And I?ve heard Him say to me countless times in Romans 12:19: ?Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, ?I will take revenge; I will pay them back?, says the Lord.? [New Living Translation - NLT]. See also Deuteronomy 32:35.
You need to see how my GOD has fought such battles for me. I mean, if GOD is fighting my battle, why do I need to bother myself again?
Next week … the topic continues.
PS: What are your thoughts about my own thoughts being expressed in these series? I want to hear from you. Text your comments to 07054638883, following this format: SOM*Name*Email*Comment
