INT 028: The Necessity of Sharing Personal Responsibilities With Your Partner

On today’s episode of IntHERupt, Linda is joined by Tracy Smith, an independent consultant who advises teams on best practices to improve individual and organizational performance. Her seasoned experience is perfect for explaining her personal experience in sharing personal responsibilities with her partner. With four kids and two grandkids (with a third on the way), Tracy knows firsthand how important this dynamic is for a long and happy marriage.

How has Tracy found harmony between her work and life?

• Harmony comes from instances where there isn’t harmony - by learning from mistakes.
• Her husband helps her. She didn’t come from a traditional nuclear family, but he did. She learned to love his family dynamic, which was an initial adjustment.

How has Tracy overcome challenges in home and work life?

• It’s not about a work-life balance; it’s about finding a balance that works for you. 
• She’s learned to be flexible, agile and apologize when she has to. 
• Tracy and her husband learned to communicate and have conversations that express their vulnerabilities.
• She learned to say no to outside things that she, at the moment, thinks are important.

Tracy’s three tips for nurturing your spousal relationship:

• Communicate - be willing to listen and ask questions.
• Find time to spend together - and it’s okay not to bring your kids.
• Love each other where you are and have grace. Tracy recommends the book Created for Connection to help work through rough patches in relationships.

How has her relationship grown through their partnering and sharing responsibility?

• When she first met her future husband 32 years ago, they were both selfish. They were both in their own place. That brought some hardheadedness to their relationship. 
• While it was great in building their professional lives and taking care of four kids, they didn’t always see the value in each other all the time.
• Their most significant growth was learning to appreciate each other and what they each bring to the table.

If you want to get in touch with Tracy and learn more, connect with her on LinkedIn.