Working together for maximum benefit should always be part of a plan. When working together the ideal situation is to have a fifty-fifty split in the work. This is actually not a good idea; you should have one person take the lead on each project that you are working on. That way there is a person that is "in charge" and the final decisions can be made. My sense of fairness wants the fifty-fifty but through experience I recognize that someone has to take the helm to make the project work. When working together each of you will have your strengths and hopefully they are not the same strengths. A really good working relationship has people with complimentary strengths and the weaknesses are no longer a problem.

The gaps that may exist when you work on your own are covered by having a good working relationship with another person such as a Power Team member. Alliances can work well this way too. I have a working partner that is great with editing and picking on all the details, he is a beaver type personality and I like the big picture and making the plans. I make faces and groan if I have to get into the detail and although I can do it, it is not one of my strengths. So when I am on a project that needs detail, I call in my Power Team member that can handle the detail with ease. What you need to do is find out what your strengths are so that you can plan your work appropriately. At the end of the chapter is a worksheet to help you discover what you like to do and what you do not.

Finding the best working partner for any project requires a solid business relationship before you do any work. Determine if this person is the best fit for you and your strengths. Try not to get into a situation where you both want to lead and one of you wants to do the project on their own. Planning ahead will eliminate a lot of the problems.