By Dr Jelena Nesic Goranovic (United Kingdom)
After two years of running a coaching &development company with her husband Nikola, Jelena shares the highs and the lows of working with a spouse.
We are a very creative team as we have our different strengths which complement each other and each of us is solely responsible for a different part of the business although we also often advise and support each other. On the other hand, it’s a bit of a disaster too, as we sometimes get frustrated with each other – we’d probably be much more polite and kind to co-workers we’re not related to! But, as most other couples who work together know all too well, the biggest problem is that we just can’t switch off: going for a walk along the beach with the children, the Sunday morning coffee or a trip to the pub for a pint or two in the evening almost inevitably lead to work-related conversations.
As stress management specialists and psychology/coaching professionals, we are usually the last people to implement effective strategies for conflict and stress resolution in our own lives (guilty as charged!). In our defence, though, think about all those excellent carpenters, electricians etc. whose own houses are a permanent building project!
Source: iCN Issue 7 (Relationship Coaching); pages 12-13
About Dr Jelena Goranovic
Dr Jelena Goranovic is an Experimental Psychologist, Lecturer and Wellbeing Consultant. As the Programme Director of Sussex Wellbeing Company, Jelena utilizes her academic expertise in the development of educational programmes as well as tailor-made integrated stress management programmes for organizations. She has published a number of research articles on stress and addiction in prestigious scientific journals, two encyclopedia chapters on the topics of alcohol and binge drinking, and is an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society.
