How do you handle a partner who constantly changes their mind, causing delays in the partnership progress?

Most often it's not you, it's them. Usually a reflection of internal misalignment. Two things must be aligned with all partnerships: 1. Truly motivating incentives 2. A targeted ROI (ideally contracted) If neither can be agreed upon, it is unlikely to be a fit.

* Open Communication: Initiate a calm conversation about the indecisiveness and its impact on the partnership's progress. * Understand the "Why": Try to understand the reasons behind their frequent changes. Are they unsure of the options? Do they lack crucial information? * Establish Ground Rules: Collaboratively establish a decision-making process that incorporates their input but avoids analysis paralysis. This could involve time limits for considering options or setting clear criteria for evaluating them. * Focus on Solutions: Instead of dwelling on the delays, brainstorm solutions together. Could they gather more information before deciding? Would delegating specific choices expedite progress?

A decision framework can help manage a partner's indecisiveness. By establishing clear decision-making processes upfront, outlining roles, timelines, and criteria we can encourage data-driven decisions and explore potential outcomes together. For recurring changes, consider a formal review process with a set reconsideration period. Open communication is key. Express your concerns about delays without blaming. Focus on finding solutions together, such as seeking external expertise or setting interim goals.

So one might often hear ‘compromise and find middle ground.’ I believe this isn’t always the best approach. ‘Success’ suggests that maintaining integrity can be more beneficial than compromising. If there are clear objectives, open dialogue, and established decision frameworks, they could integrate both their strengths and weaknesses into the partnership. Instead of defaulting to compromise, we could adapt the decision framework to the situation. Flexibility and structure, chaos and order - these are not opposing forces but complementary ones, much like the Taoist concept of Yin and Yang. Achieving this balance is challenging but essential for true efficiency. In essence, compromise has its place, but it shouldn’t overshadow.

As stated above, contracts make for good friends in partnerships. Establish a generous incentive for the partner to deliver and a fair quota/expectation for them to meet to get paid on that.

If this the case, you probably should focus on exiting the partnership. After you tried to discuss the issues and agree on the mutual expectations, if the partner is constantly missing their commitments, most probably that’s not the right partner for you. At the end, the question is if this is affecting the results and if those commitments and deadlines are important. If they are, terminate that partnership and look for another one.