Cath Jenkin: Happiness is working with someone you love

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They say you shouldn't work with the one you love. Well, they're wrong. Sometimes, a good partnership is a partnership that works, in more ways than one.

by Cath Jenkin*

I'm sure you've heard that saying: "never dip your nib in the office ink". Well, what happens when the office ink was the ink of your love life long before you worked together?

Some people say that the very best way to ruin a good relationship is to work together professionally. For a long time, I was inclined to agree. That was until my partner and I decided to work together on a professional project that has become a lifestyle for us.

We've been together a long time. We've weathered storms and stuck by each other through a kaleidoscope of life events. Working together wasn't something we set out to do, but when the opportunity arose, we jumped at it.

If there's anything I know about my life, it's that we have an immovable allegiance and trust in each other, so I had zero fear about our commitment towards getting the job done.

The best way for us to do what we had to do for this project, was to make sure we knew which area was our own to manage. Before we started work, we divided the task list and committed to managing our separate areas of responsibility. Of course, if one of us needs assistance with something, or requires input from the other, it's easy to do. We don't even need to set up a meeting.

We've had some epic disagreements over the years, and they've been over big life questions or gigantic decisions. So really, if we disagree about something work-related, it isn't difficult to tackle. Maybe it's because we're not scared to have an argument over something important because, after all, we're a team.

If there's one thing about us that shines, it's our teamwork. There's no "quit" button on our love machine, so we look for solutions in our approach to work too. And, we find them, sometimes with difficulty, but often with ease.

This all sounds lovely, doesn't it? Well none of it counts unless our project is getting results and the people it benefits are happy. Guess what? They are. So much so, that we've extended the project term, and are working towards taking on more responsibilities in the future.

What was that about the office ink again? Oh yes, that's my pen at home too.

* Cath Jenkin lives for long conversations, midnight snacks and getting lost in a world of words. As a writer and columnist, Cath explores a range of topics and themes, with a key focus resting on parenting, technology and the spaces in between.

** This article first appeared on the Change Exchange, an online platform by BrightRock, provider of the first-ever life insurance that changes as your life changes. The opinions expressed in this column are the writer's own and don't necessarily reflect the views of BrightRock.