It is not always easy for co-founders, couples, family members and other co-owners to be jointly in charge of a company.

For starters there are the challenges that every team has, whether they are co-owners or not. These are common complaints:

• “It is not always clear after a meeting who is going to do what.”
• “Sometimes we have the feeling we come from different planets.”
• “I seem to be more engaged than the others.”
• “Do they trust me as much as I trust them?”
• “I find it difficult to bring up a sensitive issue.”
• “Not everybody keeps their promises.”
• “Sometimes it feels like some co-owners think more about their own personal future than that of the company.”

Extra Dimensions for Co-Founders and Co-Owners

In the case of co-owners there are a few extra dimensions:

• There is a special personal connection (family, spouses, friends).
• Usually, personal money is invested.
• Sometimes they are jointly liable towards banks or other investors.
• Usually, the hours that are put in the business are not counted and generously exceed the 40-hour work week.

These extra dimensions can both give an enormous boost and become an extra burden.

Which side it goes, depends on the effect of the hidden dynamics and patterns that are at play.

I have described the seven most important ones including lots of examples in a short e-book “Stronger Together, 7 Hidden Dynamics that Make or Break Teams of Co-Founders & Co-Owners” that you can download for free.

Four Vibes

What does the e-book boil down to?

The seven dynamics all influence the vibe of a person, the team or the company.

I make distinction between four vibes:

• Negative
• Neutral
• Positive
• Inspiring

A Few Highlights

• Unconscious dynamics and patterns increase or decrease the vibe. The clue is to get insights in which dynamics are at play in your company.
• The vibe of the leader(s) determines the ceiling for the vibe of the company. So, when there is some kind of dynamic between two or more co-owners making their vibe neutral or negative, it will be almost impossible for other co-owners or employees to reside in the positive or inspiring vibe.
• The inspiring vibe offers the most opportunities for the growth of the company, the co-owners and the employees. However, most people are not there yet because there are hidden dynamics and patterns at play. Or because they don’t have the insights or tools to make them work for them in a constructive way.
• Vibes reside on a deeper level than can be accessed with a communication training nor can they be managed by only changing a technical process flow.

Going Forward

Since it is not easy when you are in the middle of those dynamics to see them, let alone act on them, co-founders and co-owners can hire me to support them or the whole team to climb to the inspiring vibe or make sure it stays at least at the positive one.

My support consists of two aspects:

Problem Solving

I facilitate discovering where the hidden dynamic resides that blocks something or that decreases the vibe.

Or I teach the tools to use the dynamic in a constructive way so the vibe can rise.

The format are one or a few short interventions.

Team Development

I support teams of co-owners who want to evolve to the inspiring vibe by showing them how to discover what is going on and how to support each other using simple tools so they don’t have to hire other people (including me ;-)) anymore.

The format are workshops and development programs.

Get in touch if you want to discuss your personal case or that of your company so you gain some first insights in how to make the dynamics work for you instead of against you. Afterwards you can decide to hire me to support you or make changes it on your own.

Speak to you soon!

Jan