They feel that the compensation system is unfair, that either their share of the income is too low, or their income relative to another partner is too low, or both. Partners fail to address retirement issues. Lack of goal congruity. One partner wants the firm to grow 20 percent a year and expects his partners to work long hours to attain that goal. Another partner is satisfied with his income and would rather address quality of life issues.
Partners have differing values.
We're all a team. Partners don't trust each other. They literally feel that some partners lie, are dishonest or not trustworthy. Communication Communication is easier to describe than to define, but most of us recognize good communication when we see it. It may seem like a cliche, but good communication is vital to a firm's success.