Trust is the foundation for any good business relationship and especially between co-founders. How you communicate with your partner is essential to build and maintain trust and assure a great partnership.

I recently read an article about how many start-ups in Silicon Valley were failing because of poor communication leading to conflicts between co-founders. When left unchecked this inability to find common ground was causing havoc and business failures.

Business coaches were recognizing this trend in Silicon Valley and were addressing this issue with coaching services. One coach interviewed said that a technique he was using with the co-owners was to have them repeat back to the other what they understood the other was saying.

Using this type of communication technique is a good way to have each person listen actively and be less reactive. Active listening is a technique I have recommended often in my articles and videos as an effective way to improve trust and collaboration. In fact, I make available an exercise to practice active listening. This tool can be used alone or in a team discussion. You can download this exercise and others from my website for free after signup.

Active listening is more than repeating back what you understand the person is saying. It includes expressing what you hear they are feeling. When people feel understood they are more open to discuss and come to consensus. Here is a video where I demonstrate active listening with my assistant Sonia.

It’s important to keep in mind differences in communication and leadership styles. That means knowing yourself and understanding different tendencies that are driven by different types of people. Some people are more intellectually centered, others more intuitive and others emotionally centered.

When we don’t understand each other well and are not using techniques like active listening, it’s easy to get into conflict and disagree. I suggest exploring ways to know each other and to practice using active listening. When both parties agree on the preventative measures to protect the relationship and act on them, there is great opportunity to maintain a healthy and productive working relationship.