3 days ago
Demi Lovato, The Jonas Brothers And The Power Of Moving Forward
There's a great deal of power in putting the past where it belongs — squarely in your rearview Live Nation
It can be special to walk down memory lane with old friends.
Music fans were treated to that experience over the weekend when Demi Lovato appeared in concert with her former 'Camp Rock' co-stars, the Jonas Brothers. The siblings — Joe, Nick and Kevin — were kicking off their 20th anniversary tour, Jonas20, at MetLife Stadium in their home state of New Jersey.
Lovato and the Jonas Brothers share a lot of history — a lot of ups and downs. In addition to appearing in the 2008 Disney Channel Original Movie 'Camp Rock' and its sequel, she and Joe Jonas also briefly dated in real life, and she later toured with Nick.
All of these years later, the concert moment is a reminder of the power of being able to bury the hatchet and move forward. It also offers lessons for business partners and former friends who have hit a rough patch.
The concert moment was electric. Lovato was introduced to the stage after a video montage from the initial movie played. She hugged Joe and performed her songs 'This Is Me' and 'Wouldn't Change a Thing.'
It all seemed so effortless and natural.
The passage of time helps, sure. The brothers have moved forward with their lives, as has Lovato, who recently married Jordan 'Jutes' Lutes. When reconnecting with old friends or business partners, even if things got messy or didn't end on great terms, it's easy to fall back on the shared shorthand.
There's no need to put on airs. You understand each other at your best and worst. It's good to remind ourselves, even if we endure some initial butterflies, that it's possible to fall back to familiarity. The relationship may be strained or nonexistent, but it didn't used to be that way.
Of course, a clean, respectful exit makes it easier to make up.
The more hostile and difficult the split, the less likely reconciliation will be. Take Sriracha hot-sauce maker Huy Fong Foods, for example. Huy Fong had a decades-long partnership with pepper grower Underwood Ranches. But after the Sriracha-maker callously withheld payments from Underwood, the relationship deteriorated and litigation followed.
A jury found Huy Fong liable for breach of contract and awarded Underwood Ranches $23.3 million. Underwood launched its own brand of Sriracha, Dragon Sauce, that — along with supply chain woes — represents a threat to Huy Fong's beloved, green-capped condiment.
It's okay if a business partnership doesn't last, but it's important for partners to remain respectful through the termination of the collaboration and to leave a window open — if not for reconciliation, at least respectfulness.
Trust — or a lack of it — is often to blame when collaborations fail.
One McKinsey & Company study found that internal communication and trust represented the leading causes (38%) for failure of joint ventures. Trust and communication go hand-in-hand. Direct communication represents one avenue to repair a damaged relationship. Bringing in a neutral third party can help to create openness in the communication and get both partners speaking the same language again.
But the path to repairing a damaged relationship isn't an easy one. It requires input and effort from both parties, along with mechanisms to carry the relationship past the rocky patch.
Of course, not all relationships are worth salvaging. Partnerships worth repairing — or even considering repairing — should provide long-term value. If you don't like the quality of your dry cleaner or neighborhood grocery store, no big deal.
Cut the cord. Find somewhere new.
Throughout the years, world-famous musicians have followed a similar pattern as a lot of business partnerships: a promising start followed by periods of uncertainty. It's not easy to forge a lasting relationship, especially without a strong commitment to sound governance practices.
Sometimes partners simply go in different directions.
The same is true for personal relationships. Longtime friends might drift away because their interests or opinions shift or romantic partners could find themselves misaligned due to mistrust.
In terms of Lovato and the Jonas Brothers, the crowd erupted and the musicians responded with sheer joy. Being onstage, together, the bitterness and slights and frustrations across the years all washed away. There was music to sing — same as ever.
