The term “partners” takes on new meaning when married couples venture out of the family home and work closely together in business or as office workers. There are immeasurable benefits to working closely with a spouse and there are just as many drawbacks. As married couples know all too well, relationships take a lot of work, understanding, and compromise. These requirements are the same for running  a successful business partnership or a working relationship.

Here are some tips to ensure that the partnership runs smoothly for those lucky enough to work with their spouse:

Play to your strengths:

In a marriage, there is usually a good idea of who takes care of what. One spouse is probably great at taking care of the finances, while the other does an awesome job at taking care of organizing and logistics. This may not be the case for partners who work together as there might be a lot of head butting and differences in opinions. So, delegate responsibilities to play to your strengths just like you do at home.

Leave work at work:

Spouses should agree to leave work at work and reserve family time as a strictly no business talk time. Both spouses should strive to secure quality time for the family. Only food and family at the dinner table, leave the quarterly projections at work.

Leave home at home:

Spouses fight and that’s the reality. But spouses should strive to leave familial issues and other intimate issues at home just as they strive to leave work issues at work. The key is to have open communications and agree to both have boundaries over what you can discuss at work and what needs to be left at home. Public displays of affection, heated arguments or personal conversations can embarrass or alienate coworkers. Even worse, they can disrupt the smooth flow of business.

Barriers:

No, these are not emotional barriers or communication barriers. These are physical barriers. Yes, physical barriers are important. Spouses should have separate offices or at least a separate space all to themselves. Even couples in the strongest of marriages will need a break from being with each other 24/7. Separate spaces help spouses work on their own thing without one looking over the other’s shoulder. They should let each other work without interfering and trust that the job will be done to the best of each other’s abilities.

Fair treatment:

Be each other’s toughest critic, yet each other’s biggest fan. It is never easy to take criticism from a loved one because spouses are expected to have each other’s back. But coddling will not do the business any good. The key is to give constructive criticism and positive feedback, just like a boss or a coworker would give. Endeavour to be collaborative.

Got any tips to share for married couples who work together? Share them in the comments. As always, remember to: Stay Humble, Hustle Hard. Good luck!

Written by Jaie O.- The Help