It’s not personal, it’s business!

Aside

I was talking to a friend of mine, an entrepreneur, explaining my idea about using business principles in our relationships, and his response was, “So you want me to be watching what I say, and walking on egg-shells, being diplomatic and strategic and treating my wife the way I would treat my most important client?” “And why wouldn’t you?” I asked him. The idea had such a negative connotation in his mind – that his home life wouldn’t be effortless, and the dialogue at home would be labored or artificial and it wouldn’t really be him. “How long have you worked with this client?” I asked. “For over ten years”. “And for ten years, using these very techniques, you have retained the client, kept them happy, and in return received immense gratification, sense of achievement, not to mention tangible benefits.” I rest my case.

Before I go any further I want to clarify that these techniques are not going to be useful if either partner in the relationship is dealing with abuse, or has severe physical or psychological issues. But 80% of divorce cases are due to “irreconcilable differences“. Arguably, the first step towards reconciling differences is having stellar communication techniques. CBS news reported that divorce rates among executives are steadily on the rise, and it is such types of examples, that I cannot help but wonder, why is it that a CEO or a VP is able to practice conflict resolution or constructive confrontation at work and not at home?

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