14 Feb 2023 From Carmen: What’s it like working with your partner?
“I could never work with my partner” is something I’m sure many people have said. And, for some there are probably very good reasons why working together would not be the best decision for a happy life.
However, workplaces aren’t always separate spaces for spouses, you might have met your partner at work or like me run a business with them. With everything in life, there are positives and negatives, and working with your partner is definitely included in this!
Paul and I have worked together now for over 10 years, successfully building a life together, personally and in business. For us, venturing into working together at One Connectivity wasn’t a huge risk. We knew we could work well together because we met in a former work environment.
Why working together works for us.
Working with the person you are in a relationship with can have many benefits. You know that person inside out, and what’s happening in their personal life, if they’ve woken up on the wrong side of the bed or are stressed out from work. Having that connection can prove successful when running a business.
Fundamentally, it works for Paul and I because of the support and trust we give each other. Knowing each other inside and out gives us the opportunity to champion each other’s strengths and use them in the most successful way for the business.
In a relationship you share values and goals as a couple and family, this is exactly the same in business. We aspire to achieve the same goals for One Connectivity. I’m more creative, and Paul is a numbers man, our different skills complement each other. Not only do our skills complement each other, so do our personalities. This has become extremely useful as the team at One Connectivity has grown, enabling us to manage all the different personalities that come with managing a large team.
I think one of our biggest successes of working together is respect. We respect each other’s views and opinions even if we don’t agree. Without this I think it would be very difficult to work as well as we do together.
The challenges of working together.
Working together of course has its challenges, we haven’t gone 10 years agreeing on everything and coming home smiling at the end of each day (especially if Paul has forgotten to tell me something I need to know!)
When you work together it is impossible not to bring work home with you. It can be hard to come home and leave our work life at the door, but sometimes there is no getting around it. Unlike other couples with separate work lives who can come home and share their work issues and then it’s done with, we must be careful not to let work take over our home conversations.
One vital experience that we have learnt over the years and that we try to adhere to, is to have the ability to be able to switch off from work in an evening or weekend and just concentrate on quality family time. This creates a much healthier and balanced life, you need to try and leave the stresses of work outside the door!
Final thoughts…
Ten years ago, when One Connectivity was founded, we didn’t know what the future would hold. The success we have achieved with the business has been amazing, and I think it makes it even more special that Paul and I have been able to share the experience together.