I think we can all agree that personal and professional emotions are close neighbors and cross frequently. With that said, how do you influence your mate professionally and will it come back to haunt you in your personal relationship? The answer is YES! The way you support your significant other will move from the board room to the bedroom and even worse, THE KITCHEN.

We all have our own emotional system of measuring support from our friends and family so you need to understand yours and discuss it with your significant other, baby daddy or business partner ASAP to minimize the emotional drama that can be introduced into any relationship when someone feels they aren’t being supported. If you would rather not hear a damn thing from your guy then let him know you just want him to be a sounding board and save the advice. If you want your GF to give her advice and listen to the details of your challenges then let her know you need her undivided attention upfront along with her opinion on the matter. If not, don’t be surprised when you only have her partial attention while she updates her social media slate. We all listen differently so don’t leave your needs to chance without communicating what you need. Also, when you offer advice after you gave the conversation ten percent of your focus then it has about ten percent of the value of a stranger or co-worker so don’t be surprised if you lose your professional voice at the home front as a result.

A large amount of couples lose their voice with their mate early in the relationship and leave this void open which creates jealous moments and breakups as each person develops relationships with individuals who actually give a damn in this area of their life. True power couples learn to support and trust each others professional growth while most compete against each other to show their intellectual dominance in the relationship. How does your significant other measure the amount of professional emotional support you provide and how can you increase your POUND FOR POUND weight in their life? Start by asking questions and listening. How can I help you get better based upon my resources and skill set is a good place to start? Organic resources and skills carry more weight than your professional opinion in most situations until you develop the relationship to its highest levels of trust.