My business partner is being passive aggressive - here's what to do
dollhouse: tea shop
Fun fact: “Herbal tea” usually isn’t technically tea. Drinks like chamomile, peppermint, rooibos, and hibiscus are infusions or tisanes. They’re commonly called tea, but they don’t come from the tea plant.
The issue:
Your business partner, Pascale, is being passive aggressive with you. In other words, you feel constant unspoken tension.
An example:
Let's say you and your Pascale run a tea shop together.
You two used to work very well together as best friends. But now, you notice that the room is always filled with silent tension.
She makes backhanded compliments that seem kind, until you think about it later.
Her facial expressions show someone who's not emotionally open to you, even if her words are neutral.
You have a gut feeling that she's purposely working in a way that blocks harmony from flowing between you two.
Two hidden costs:
- Constantly decoding her hints and moods takes a toll on your energy.
-
The people around you two get mixed signals.
The reasons:
Here is the reason why Pascale is being passive aggressive:
- She feels some type of negative way towards you. Rather than addressing it directly with you, she expresses it through these micro behaviors.
Your quick fix (honoring autonomy):
Your goal is simply to understand why your partner is being passive aggressive with you.
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Can you both openly acknowledge the passive aggressive behavior?
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Can you both overcome the underlying reason behind their behavior?
If YES, you can make compromises.
If NO, you have a fundamental incompatibility - you both have different ways of handling conflict.
Mending your partnership:
Book a consultation with Valerie.
Vetting for the future:
If you are searching for a business partner in the future, first figure out how they handle conflict or disagreements.
This ensures that they won’t get into passive aggressive mode due to holding onto resentment.