Establishing clear objectives and a detailed plan of action is essential for maintaining the partnership's focus and direction. By defining specific goals, each team member understands their role and contributions, which helps to minimize the impact of varying personality dynamics within the group. Focusing on a structured approach ensures that everyone remains aligned and committed to the common purpose, enabling the team to work effectively together and achieve the desired outcomes.

The issue is often that everyone comes with the intention to speak or teach or impress and no one stops to listen or approach from a place of collaboration. If the partnership is greater than the people at loggerheads then start with creating an open space to talk. Allow each to share their view point with a solution based approach putting the issue at the centre. Acknowledge the others insights and set out objectives so the session is less about you and more about the solution. Failing all the above then mediation may be the best route. To overcome conflict start by seeking what the specifics are that you disagree with and highlight the similarities in approach. No one has all the answers, so try humility - it may just work

To navigate personality clashes in a partnership, I’d start by addressing the issue head-on but with empathy. Meeting with each person individually allows me to understand their perspective without judgment, making it easier to pinpoint the underlying issues. Next, I’d bring everyone together for an open discussion, focusing on shared goals and mutual respect to align everyone back to our objectives. Emphasizing common ground helps reset the team’s focus, while clearly setting boundaries for future interactions can prevent further conflicts. Regular check-ins can then maintain harmony, ensuring we stay aligned and collaborative.

Personality clashes can be challenging, but they’re also an opportunity to strengthen partnerships. I’d start by taking a step back to understand different communication styles, sometimes a fresh perspective helps. A great book for this is Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson, which breaks down personality types and how they interact. By understanding where each person is coming from, it’s easier to find common ground and work toward shared goals. Often, just being open to different approaches can ease tension and refocus everyone on what matters.

Perspective-taking: Take time to understand the other person’s viewpoint and underlying motivations. In operations, where roles are highly interdependent, building empathy helps prevent misunderstandings and strengthens alignment on shared goals. Foster solution-oriented discussions: When differences arise, pivot conversations towards solutions instead of sticking to the problem. This keeps the focus on forward momentum and minimizes the energy spent on interpersonal friction. Leverage shared metrics: Establish performance metrics everyone can rally around. Having measurable outcomes promotes accountability and reduces the potential for subjective disagreements, helping everyone stay on track with the business's broader objectives.

Partnerships begin and end with people - people always have personalities! My guess is their personality is not putting you and your interests first in the partnership and that's why it's bothering you - ask yourself the tough question... Are you putting them and their interests first? Try it for a few weeks / months and watch that "personality" slowly start to change! :)