My business partner is in a downward spiral. Help!

Dear Aunty B,

I am very concerned about one of my business partners. He displays an awful lot of anxiety, and is becoming quite irritable and impatient. Business is stressful, but I suspect his issues go beyond the business. He lives by himself and spends almost all of his evenings and weekends on his own. Over the past year he has gained weight and picked up bad habits (smoking). He is separated, has stopped visiting his kids, and he seems to have given up on maintaining any kind of social life.

He is an extremely effective businessperson when he is in the right frame of mind, but those windows of effectiveness are becoming a rarity. I feel his professional life is undermined by personal issues. His emotional swings ripple through the entire team, taking up lots of time and energy. I want to help him, both as a friend and as a business partner. What can I do or suggest to help him break out of this downward spiral and get back on track to personal and professional growth? Any advice is much appreciated.

By the way, I’m an avid reader. Keep up the good work!

Regards,
RA

Dear RA,

Yikes. This sounds very serious. He is displaying visible signs of depression. I know you want to help him as a friend but you must put on your business partner hat – and keep it on. You need to go into his office and tell him that his behaviour is having a negative effect on the staff and the business. Give him specific examples. Tell him how much you value him and how effective he can be but be honest about the effect he is currently having.

Insist he gets help. Suggest he take a few weeks off to work on getting treatment. To boost your own knowledge on depression check out the beyondblue website.

Stay in contact with him if he does decide to take a few weeks off. And call a few of his friends to tell them you are worried about him and ask them to keep an eye on him.

You sound like a very caring business partner and friend. But you also have a duty of care to your employees and shareholders. So don’t tippy toe around this issue or just hope it will go away.

Good luck!
Your Aunty B

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